§ 15. Mr. E. WASONasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is now in a position to say whether, since the price fixed by the Board of Agriculture for oats grown in 1917 have now become a minimum price and the price contracted with the Director of Tillage for oats grown in freshly-broken up grass lands will also be a minimum: and whether the latter will be entitled to claim the difference between the two prices originally fixed in addition to the Gazette price?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am afraid I cannot say more at the moment than that the matter is still under consideration.
§ Mr. WASONSeeing that this difference is very high—it is as much as 2s. 9d.—between the price fixed by his Department and that fixed by the Director of Tillage, 192 will not the hon. Gentleman give us some definite answer, because we have been-pressed as to what is going to take place?
§ Mr. FORSTERI will give my right hon. Friend and the House an answer as soon as I can. My right hon. Friend will remember that to reconsider this question involves the alteration of the terms of contracts. That really cannot be done before the matter has been submitted to and considered by the Treasury.