POTATOES. (Hansard, 12 March 1917)

§ 21. Mr. BYRNE
asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is aware of 697 the indignation in Ireland caused by the exporting of potatoes and other foodstuffs required for the Irish people; if, to prevent a repetition of the famine of 1847 which caused so many victims, he will prevent any further exportation of potatoes from Ireland; or if the people of Ireland will be allowed to deal with the exporters themselves, and be allowed to take whatever steps may be necessary to prevent the exportation of foodstuffs required for home use?

§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Duke)
The Board of Agriculture have asked me to reply to this question. The export of potatoes and oats from Ireland, with the exception of supplies for the Army and Navy, is at present only permitted under licence from the Department of Agriculture. In granting such licences the Department has had, and will have, due regard to the requirements of the country.

§ Mr. BYRNE
Has not the time arrived to prevent potatoes going out of Ireland?

§ Mr. DUKE
The prohibition upon the export of potatoes out of Ireland has been so effective that every grower of potatoes in Ulster for export feels himself aggrieved by the action of it.

§ Mr. FLAVIN
Does the right hon. Gentleman know of his own personal knowledge or has he heard that potatoes are the main food of the Irish people?

§ Mr. KILBRIDE
Has anybody in Ireland been licensed to export potatoes except the hon. Member of this House who represents North Derry?

§ Mr. DUKE
Yes, Sir. A large number of licences have been issued, but whether any licence has been issued to the hon. Member for North Derry I am not sure.

§ Mr. KILBRIDE
Can we have a list of these names?

§ Mr. DUKE
Several hon. Members had lists many days since.

§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSY
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that officers who are agents of the military authorities are going round the country buying potatoes from farmers in their homes for export purposes, and will this practice be stopped and these men be sent into the open-market to buy their potatoes instead of going round the country?

§ Mr. DUKE
Potatoes will continue to be bought, I hope, as cheaply as possible and as readily as possible for the supply of the troops at the front, so far as it is practicable, and for the supply of sailors at sea, so far as it is practicable. So far as I know there has been nothing done m the use of the military power of requisitioning, except for the express purposes of those necessary supplies.

§ Mr. BYRNE
Will the right hon. Gentleman answer my question, namely, whether the Government will cease issuing permits for export altogether, because there is a scarcity of potatoes in Ireland and also here? I think it is most unfair that potatoes should be brought from Ireland [HON MEMBERS: "Speech!"]. Will the Government prevent any more permits being issued?

Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER
That question has already been answered.

§ Mr. BYRNE
It is a very important question.

35. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the fact that at the present rate of consumption it is unlikely that there will be potatoes available for anyone during the later spring and the earlier summer months, it has yet been decided to establish compulsory potato rations?

Captain BATHURST
As I have already stated, the Food Controller does not propose to ration potatoes. I may point out that even in normal years supplies of potatoes are frequently short in the late spring and early summer.