HC Deb 13 November 1918 vol 110 cc2666-7
25. Mr. DENMAN

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether Cumbrian farmers are to be required to plough out an additional 12,000 acres of grass land; whether some of these farmers are conscious how much the food supply of the country has been decreased, and they themselves have lost by the substitution of crops which it has not been possible to harvest for valuable grass; whether he will refrain from adding to their troubles by fresh demands and be content with the adequate cultivation of existing arable land?

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Prothero)

The need for an increased production of food continues to be a matter of urgent national importance. The existing arable acreage must be cultivated to the full. But no substantial increase can be obtained without adding to the present arable area. Cumberland has been asked to aim at securing an additional 12,000 acres, so far as labour is available. In putting forward this figure to the War Executive Committee the special climatic conditions of the county were taken into account. I may remind my hon. Friend that any occupier who is ordered to plough up grass land has a statutory right of appeal.

Mr. DENMAN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the harvest in Cumberland and Westmorland was very largely ruined by the bad weather, and that therefore the farmers have had special sufferings there; further, that the ground is now so wet that ploughing operations have been seriously delayed?

Mr. PROTHERO

I am aware of both, those facts.

Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCK

Will the right hon. Gentleman then tell us where the increase of food production comes in if the harvest is ruined?

Mr. PROTHERO

The increase of food production amounts to something like 35 per cent. upon the production of 1917 in respect of the four corn crops, and although a very considerable proportion of the cereal crops in the North have been injured, there is a very large quantity available for human food and also available for animals.

Mr. WRIGHT

Will the right hon. Gentleman make representations to the Government to let as many agricultural labourers as possible return in order to promote food production?

Mr. PROTHERO

Certainly, I am doing so.

Major WOOD

Is not the policy apparent in this question a reversal of the policy previously declared in this House, under which we understood that no further ploughing-up notices were to be served, except that farmers who had refused to plough under the notices served earlier?

Mr. PROTHERO

What I said in this House was that we should not resort to legal prosecutions to enforce orders to plough up. Wherever the Executive Committee finds an area of land which can be made available for corn production, and the farmer has the labour available, there an Order will be issued. The farmer can then appeal to the legal tribunal, and if in those circumstances the legal tribunal finds that the Order ought to be carried out, it will be enforced, but those cases will be relatively rare.