§ 42. Mr. EMLYN-JONESasked the Minister of Agriculture how the sum of 1190 £850,000, placed in the hands of the Development Commissioners under the Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921, for the purpose of developing agriculture, has been expended?
§ Major BARNSTONI have been asked to reply. The fund to which the hon. Member refers will, as at present arranged, be expended over a period of not less than five years from the 1st April last. It is estimated that during the current year, approximately, £140,000 will be spent from the fund, and next year, approximately, £275,000. The purposes to which the money is being devoted are, in general, schemes of agricultural education and research. The programme on which the Ministry of Agriculture is working includes schemes for such purposes as the improvement and extension of the accommodation at research institutes and agricultural colleges; increases of staff and the development of the work of existing re-search institutes, the establishment in one or two cases of new centres of research, such as a Professorship of Animal Diseases at Cambridge; and the establishment of a system of scholarships for the sons and daughters of agricultural workmen and others, as directed by the Act constituting the fund. If the hon. Member would like detailed information concerning any scheme or class of schemes in which he is particularly interested, and will communicate with me, I shall be happy to furnish it.
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYWhere does the accumulated unexpended portion of this money go to—back to the Fund or is it kept in the hands of the Commissioners?
§ Major BARNSTONI could not answer that off-hand.