§ 26. Brigadier-General CROFTasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the proposed alteration of the maximum price for wheat will not help home production during this season, and whether he can take stops to stimulate early autumn sowing of British wheat with a view to reducing the price of the loaf?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI cannot agree that the decision of the Government as to wheat prices will not stimulate home production this season. The prices announced both for the 1920 and 1921 crop are such as should be sufficient to give a substantial profit to farmers and, that being so, I am confident that they will spare no effort to increase their production, and it is most important they should be stimulated to do so.
§ Brigadier-General CROFTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that the present prices of foreign wheat are practically responsible for the whole of the additional subsidy which it is now contemplated to put on and will he consider the propriety of looking ahead to 2365 next year with a view to the early autumn sowing of a substantial increase of home-grown wheat, and thus securing a greater saving for the nation?
§ Mr. PEMBERTON BILLINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that notwithstanding the profits made during the War the farming interest is still in a very precarious position, and it is looking to legislation for the future? Seeing that farmers work five years ahead, will legislation try to do the same thing?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is the general purport of the answer I gave We know that farmers make their arrangements for wheat growing five or seven years ahead. With regard to the question of my hon. and gallant Friend, the difficulty is not so much that of price as of exchange. We feel fairly sanguine that the exchange will improve considerably by 1921. But still prices are very high, and in the arrangement we have made with the farmers both those considerations have been borne in mind.