§ 59. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Secretary to the Treasury how much per acre is contributed out of public money for the encouragement of the tobacco industry in Great Britain; and whether he will state the total contributions out of public funds in the years 1912–13–14, and the number of acres devoted to the cultivation of tobacco in those years, respectively?
§ Mr. ACLANDIn answering the hon. Member's question, I should explain that in Great Britain there is no fixed subsidy per acre as in Ireland, but that Grants are made to the British Tobacco Growers' Society,. Limited, who, for the season 1915, have guaranteed to growers a fixed price of 7d. a lb. for sound saleable leaf properly cured, but not rehandled. The Grant to the society for 1914–15 was £5,000, and the area cultivated in the season 1914 was 153 acres. This works out at about £32: per acre. No direct Grant from public funds was made during 1912–13, when 37¼ acres were cultivated. The Grant in 1913–14 was £5,517 16s. 3d., when 127½ acres-were cultivated. The rebate of duty on home-grown tobacco in the years 1912, 1913, and 1914, was £77, £l,540, and £2,486, respectively.