§ Considered in Committee.
§ [Sir E. CORNWALL in the Chair.]
Sir A. BOSCAWENI beg to move,
That it is expedient for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the Law with respect to the sale and use of seeds for sowing und of seed potatoes and to provide for the testing thereof, to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament up to an amount approved by the Treasury of any expenses incurred by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland in carrying such Act into execution.This is the Financial Resolution which is necessary in connection with the Seeds Bill, the Second Reading of which was passed last night. The expenditure under the Bill arises under Clause 12, which provides for the establishment and maintenance of seed-testing stations in England, Scotland and Ireland. Clause 13 authorises the payment of expenses for administering the Act. I do not expect the expenditure will be large, nor will it exceed what is being expended, since the seed-testing stations actually exist. All that the Bill does is to make permanent what is being carried out now under the Defence of the Realm Regulations. I have circulated a White Paper which shows very, clearly what the cost will be. The proposed expenditure in connection 367 with the seed-testing station and administration in England and Wales is approximately £9,000 per annum. The net expenditure in England and Wales is £7,500. It is estimated that the net expenditure in Scotland and Ireland together will probably not exceed £6,000. Therefore all we are asking for is about £13,500, which represents practically the expenditure at the present moment. It is not anticipated there will be any additional expenditure in the establishment of new seed-testing stations. Of course, if the expenditure grows in future that will appear every year in the Estimates.
§ Major COURTHOPEA question has occurred to my mind in listening to my right hon. Friend's statement that the expenditure proposed is approximately the same as that which has taken place during the War. But I understand, in addition to the seed testing which has taken place during the War, the testing of forest tree seeds is to be added. Surely the scope of the seed testing stations cannot be extended from agricultural seeds only to forest tree seeds without some additional provision being made? I should like to receive an assurance that the forest tree seed testing is not going to be omitted under this provision.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§
Resolved,
That it is expedient for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the Law with respect to the sale and use of seeds for sowing and of seed potatoes and to provide for the testing thereof, to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament up to an amount approved by the Treasury of any expenses incurred by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland in carrying such Act into execution."—[Mr. Baldwin.]
§ Resolution to be reported To-morrow.