§ 32. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture the number of labourers employed on the land who have been recruited for the Army; the number of women who have gone to work on the land since the outbreak of war; the probable reduction in the amount of Home-grown food supplies this year; and what steps it is proposed to take to increase the food supplies in view of the enormous demands of Army, Navy, and civil population?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Acland)No actual figures are available which I can quote in reply to any of the first three points raised by the hon. Member, though, if he will kindly refer to my statement on the subject as reported in column 1863 of the OFFICIAL REPORT for the 22nd instant, he will find an estimate with regard to the first of them. In reply to the last part of the question, may I refer to the answer given on the subject to the right hon. Member for the South Molton Division on the 11th instant? It is not possible, within the limits of an answer to a Parliamentary question, to make any fuller statement, but I should be glad to talk to my hon. Friend on the subject.