§ 20. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture the names of the Committee appointed to advise on all questions relating to the marketing and distribution of the 1917 potato crop; and whether that Committee, in addition to advising upon, the best methods of conserving a sufficiency of potatoes for food for man and beast during the period which will elapse before the 1918 crop is available, will also consult scientific and industrial experts as to the best methods of utilising any surplus which may exist for producing substitutes for articles ordinarily obtainable, but now difficult to import?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of FOOD (Captain Bathurst)I have been asked to reply. The Crops (1917) Committee, which will deal with potatoes amongst other crops, consists of nineteen members, whose names have already been publicly announced. I am sending my hon. Friend a list of the names. The Committee will utilise all available sources of information, and I will draw their attention to the suggestion made by my hon. Friend.
§ 23. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the present scarcity and high price of potatoes is partly due to the lifting of immature potatoes last year; and if he has any official information showing that the present high prices will not induce growers to lift immature potatoes this year even if by so doing they get only two tons to the acre instead of the four or more tons which might be obtained if the potatoes were allowed to mature?
Captain BATHURSTI have been asked to reply. The shortage of potatoes has resulted from the abnormally bad weather of last summer and autumn; the lifting of immature potatoes did not contribute appreciably to the present scarcity. I have no official information to the effect mentioned in the second part of the question. It should be remembered that a special price is guaranteed for all sound potatoes marketed on and after September 15th.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERMay I ask whether the price guaranteed after a certain date is anything nearly as high as the price which might be obtained for immature potatoes?
§ Sir J. SPEARIs it not very desirable that the early crops of potatoes should be brought into the market to relieve the present scarcity, and is it not a fact that as soon as potatoes are lifted another crop is put in when they are disposed of at an early date?
Captain BATHURSTThehon. Member for Devonshire has very largely answered the hon. Member for Liverpool, but there is no evidence that there is any large lifting of main crop potatoes at the present time, and in the course of another fortnight there is every prospect of the amount of potatoes coming from the Channel Islands and elsewhere being so large as substantially to augment the supply and reduce the price.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERMay I remind the hon. and gallant Gentleman that he did not reply to my supplementary question?
Captain BATHURSTI think as regards the rest of the hon. Member's question I have repeatedly replied to it in this House. The hon. Member appears to have an insatiable appetite for crambe repetita.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERMy supplementary question was whether the price which could now be obtained by lifting the immature potatoes was not much higher than the price referred to as having been guaranteed at future dates.
Captain BATHURSTYes, at the present moment it is, but it is gradually decreasing, and there is evidence to show that in a very short time it will be much reduced.
§ 25. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if use can be made of potatoes for the purposes of manufacturing potato flour, glucose, petrol substitutes, rubber substitutes, cement, and explosives; and can he specify any other useful purposes to which any surplus quantity of potatoes could be put?
Captain BATHURSTI have been asked to reply. Potatoes can be used for manufacturing potato flour, glucose, petrol substitutes and explosives. They can also be used for making starch and alcohol and for purposes of admixture with cereal flour. I have no information as to their use for purposes either of rubber substitutes or of cement, and there is at present no reason to contemplate a supply of potatoes in excess of that which can be used either directly or indirectly for human consumption.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman not aware that one of the strongest adhesives for cementing steel, iron and other things can be made out of potatoes?
Captain BATHURSTThat may be so, but, as representing the Ministry of Food in this House, I may mention that there is a commodity of a less adhesive character, namely, bread, in which potatoes will be, if necessary, largely incorporated.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that my question was addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, to whom it was quite appropriate, but possibly not to the Department in charge of bread?
Captain BATHURSTSo long as there is a, Ministry of Food, I hope bread will have priority over any sticking commodity.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHIncluding the Government.
§ 35. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider whether the potatoes required for the armies in France could largely be drawn from Spain overland, thus avoiding submarine risks; and, if so, and if this supply were supplemented by potatoes grown in France, can arrangements be made to bring the whole of the Jersey potato supply to this country?
Captain BATHURSTI have been asked to reply. It has not hitherto been found possible to draw overland from 759 Spain an adequate supply of potatoes for the Allied armies in France. The course suggested in the last part of the question is not therefore practicable
§ 61. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether it is possible to count upon an abundance of potatoes for the next twelve months before the main crops have passed through, certain critical periods; and what those periods are in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively?
Captain BATHURSTIt is impossible to predict with certainty at this period the abundance or shortage of the 1917 main crop of potatoes. Climatic conditions during the coming months might easily upset any present calculations. There are no specially critical periods. Fungoid disease is the chief danger during the summer and early autumn, and thereafter either prolonged damp which may prevent lifting, or early frost which may destroy the tubers before clamping. Spraying the crop next month with Bordeaux mixture will reduce to a minimum the chief risk, namely, disease.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERDo I understand correctly that it is impossible at this moment to say whether we shall have a surplus of potatoes, or a sufficiency, for the purposes of food?
Captain BATHURSTThe hon. Member is very persistent on this subject, but after the experience of last year I certainly am not going to be so rash as to make any prediction with regard to potatoes.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman consider it reasonable therefore that I should ask him what he would do with a surplus, if there is one?