§ 17. Sir WALTER NUGENTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if all arrangements for the erection of new mills or the adaptation of old mills for grinding corn in Ireland have been hung up owing to 1111 the difficulties in the way of obtaining permits for the necessary machinery; whether Messrs. Simon and Son, of Manchester, who visited Ireland recently at the request of the Department of Agriculture, were unable to carry out the work entrusted to them in the county of Westmeath for this reason; and whether, in view of the urgency of the matter, he will see that steps are taken to enable contracting firms in future to obtain the necessary repairs and new machinery required without undue delay?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Ministry of Munitions, which alone has power to grant permits for the manufacture of oat-milling machinery, requires applications for such permits to be supported by the Ministry of Food. The Department of Agriculture are always willing, when asked, to recommend to the Ministry of Food applications for permits in respect of machinery required for Irish mills, for which they are satisfied there is veal necessity. In cases of special urgency, the Department's representative in London gets into touch directly with the Ministry of Munitions. This procedure was recently adopted in the case of a mill in county Westmeath, the machinery for which was ordered from Messrs. H. Simon, Limited, Manchester, and the Department have no reason at present to suppose that their Order will not be carried out.