HC Deb 04 July 1922 vol 156 c198
36. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSON

asked the Minister of Agriculture the average prices of wheat and oats marketed from the 1920 harvest, the guaranteed prices, and the total amount of compensation paid to the farmers in the United Kingdom to give them the guaranteed prices?

Major BARNSTON (for Sir Arthur Boscawen)

I have been asked to reply. As the answer is lengthy and contains a number of figures, I propose, with the permission of the hon. Member, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The average prices of wheat and oats during the seven months September, 1920, to March, 1921, as ascertained from the returns furnished under the Corn Returns Act, 1882, were:

s. d.
Wheat … 86 4 per quarter of 480 lbs.
Oats … 45 7 per quarter of 312 lbs.
The minimum prices fixed by the Corn Production Act, 1917, for wheat and oats produced in 1920 were:
s. d.
Wheat … 45 0 per quarter of 480 lbs.
Oats … 24 0 per quarter of 312 lbs.
As the average prices exceeded the minimum prices fixed by the Corn Production Act, 1917, no payments became due under that Act in respect of the 1920 crops.

In the case of wheat, however, an arrangement was made to secure that growers should receive on the average for home-grown wheat of the 1920 crop of sound milling quality sold for milling into flour for human consumption a price equivalent to the price of imported wheat, subject to a maximum of 9s. per 504 lbs. (90s. 6d. per quarter of 480 lbs.). The sum paid direct to farmers in the United Kingdom by the Royal Commission on Wheat Supplies in giving effect to this arrangement was about £450,000. It should be added that in the years 1917–1920, owing to the operation of maximum prices, farmers received considerably less than the prices paid for imported wheat.