§ 26. Mr. LEACHasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he can and will state to this House the amounts of advance in wages given to labourers on the land in the middle and southern counties of England?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)I have been asked by my hon. Friend to reply to this question. So far as reported, it appears that since the outbreak of war the increase in the weekly cash rates usually paid to agricultural labourers reached 4s. in Hants, Kent, Leicester, Salop and Wilts; 3s. in Berks, Cheshire, Derby, Devon, Dorset, Herts, Middlesex, Notts, Northants, Oxford, Somerset, Staffs, Sussex, Warwick, and Worcester; and 2s. in Bedford, Bucks, Cornwall, and Surrey.
§ Sir R. ADKINSIs there any objection to extending the figures to cover the whole of England, and to issuing them in a Parliamentary Paper?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIf the hon. Member will put down an unstarred question, I will give the whole of the counties and circulate the answer with the Votes.
§ Mr. PETODoes that answer cover the results of the recent official inquiry made among farmers under Form Z 8, issued only a few days ago?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not remember under what form the information was given, but this is the most recent information we have at the Board of Trade.