§ 24. Mr JOSEPH JOHNSTONEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that the proposal announced on 2nd April for the 1919 cereal crops fails to give effect to the pledge already given by him, especially in respect of barley and oats, in regard to which the proposed guarantee only applies to a portion of the production, whereas there was no such limitation in the pledge given; and if this differentiation would inflict a serious injustice on Scottish producers, especially since the guaranteed prices for cereals have already been used as a reason for the advance in agricultural wages?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir Arthur Boscawen)The pledge of the 560 Government, given in the House of Commons on the 19th November last, expressly referred to "the prices paid to farmers for controlled cereals," and therefore did not include such part of the crops as would not be normally sold.