§ 40. Mr. CECIL HARMSWORTHasked the Secretary for Scotland if his attention has been directed to a recent statement of the Director-General of National Service to the effect that there is no farmer in Scotland to-day who stands in need of a ploughman; and if he will say what special arrangements have been made in Scotland with the military authorities that have resulted in the retention on the land in Scotland of the requisite number of ploughmen?
§ The SECRETARY for SCOTLAND (Mr. Munro)The reply to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. The Director-General informs me that every farmer in Scotland who has applied to his Department for a ploughman has been offered one; and it is believed that the present requirements of Scottish farmers have been fully met by the officers of the National Service Department. This situation results partly from my arrangement with the Army Council to the effect that in taking men for military service the supply of labour necessary for food production shall be safeguarded so far as practicable, and partly from the arrangements made by the National Service Department in co-operation with my Department for the supply of additional ploughmen, including men from the Home Defence Forces, to meet the farmers' requirements. I may add that the National Service Department has, during the present spring, distributed over 2,000 agricultural workers among the farms in Scotland, and it has promises at the present time of a further number of about 250 employés skilled in agriculture who are to be lent by local authorities in Scotland later in the season.