§ 22. Mr. DILLONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that a few weeks ago his Department agreed with representatives of the Irish Food Control Committee, the Irish Potato Advisory Committee, and the Welsh and Liverpool Potato Purchasing Committees that 5,000 tons of potatoes should be sent weekly from the North of Ireland to certain districts in Wales and England; whether the farmers in Ulster were asked directly by the Government last year to increase the production of potatoes and were promised £6 per ton on the faith of the Prime Minister; whether acceptance of these potatoes is now refused, although some 10,000 tons have been purchased through the Irish Potato Advisory Committee in accordance with the express agreement referred to and are at present either held up in store or at the ports awaiting shipment; whether the officers acting on behalf of the Government in this matter have the authority of Lord Rhondda or any other responsible person; and if he will say what advice is to be now given to the Ulster farmers and to the Irish Potato Advisory Committee both in regard to the disposal of the Irish potato crop of 1917 and the extent to which the Government desire this crop to be grown in Ireland in 1918?
§ 26. Mr. ARCHDALEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he is aware that the export of potatoes from the North of Ireland to England has almost stopped and that a very large quantity, bagged ready for shipment, are in consequence becoming damaged and unfit for use; and whether, seeing that quantities are still on farms waiting for purchase, causing disappointment and loss to the grower, he will say what means he proposes to take to remedy the feared loss of good food?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe hon. Member for Mayo is right in assuming that the Food Controller is responsible for the initiation of arrangements on the lines indicated in his question for absorbing the exportable surplus of Irish potatoes. These arrangements have enabled nearly 24,000 tons to be exported to this country in the last six weeks, whereas in the previous two months before the Ministry of Food intervened only 12,000 were got away.
The farmers in Ulster, as in other parts of the United Kingdom, were asked last season to increase the production of potatoes, and were guaranteed on certain conditions a minimum price of £6 per ton. That guarantee is being and will be observed. Owing to the accumulation of stocks in the hands of dealers in South Wales and the South-Western Counties of England the South Wales Potato Control Committee has found it necessary to ask for shipments from Ireland to be temporarily reduced, with the result that the Ulster warehouses have become congested and orders from the firms have been suspended. The accumulations in South Wales are being rapidly disposed of, and in a fortnight's time it is expected that considerably more than 5,000 tons weekly will be required by the two Purchasing Committees, in view of the fact that as soon as it became known that Ulster could send over more potatoes than South Wales and Liverpool could absorb, the Food Controller issued an Order which had the effect of prohibiting the import of any but Irish potatoes into seven counties in the South-West of England.
The Food Controller will be prepared to consider claims for compensation in respect of any losses which may be proved to be due to the above circumstances. The Ulster farmers and the Irish Potato Advisory Committee can rest assured that the whole of this season's exportable surplus will be needed, and that the Government 632 desire to see a largely increased production of potatoes both in Ulster and elsewhere during the coming season.
§ Mr. SCANLANArising out of the hon. Gentleman's reply, may I ask him if he can state definitely, on behalf of the Government, that no loss will be inflicted on these farmers and the association which has brought the 10,000 tons of potatoes at the request of the Government to the market?
§ Mr. CLYNESSo far as losses may arise from shipping causes, for which the Government is responsible, my reply is to give the fullest assurance that that loss will not be suffered by the potato growers.
§ Mr. SCANLANIn order to reassure the potato growers in Ireland, and to help the people of Ireland to carry out the request of the Government, can the hon. Gentleman say, on behalf of the Food Ministry, that the farmers Who have produced potatoes in Ireland, and have potatoes available for sale of the 1917 crop, will receive the Government's guaranteed price of £6 per ton?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs far as such fanners come within the guarantee my answer is. "Yes."
§ Mr. SCANLANMay I ask whether the hon. Gentleman wishes to qualify in any particular the guarantee of the Prime Minister given in this House on 2nd February, 1917, in these terms, "Potatoes we simply propose to guarantee for this coming season at £6 per ton"; or is the hon. Gentleman prepared to undertake for the Government that producers of potatoes will receive this guaranteed price?
§ Mr. CLYNESI certainly do not wish to qualify any guarantee given on behalf of the Government, but to repeat my assurance that all who are covered by the guarantee can rest assured that no loss will fall upon them because of the failure of shipment referred to in the question.