§ 20. Mr. STEPHENasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many smallholders and other farmers in Scotland have commenced growing sugar-beet; what amount of subsidies have been paid to them by the Government, respectively; what acreage is under crop; what is the sugar output for Scotland for 1926; and what subsidies or guarantees have been made by the Government to the Greenock, Cupar, and other factories?
§ Sir J. GILMOURIt is not- yet possible to give any figures for the current season, but I am informed by the two companies who manufacture sugar from home-grown beet in Scotland that the number of persons who supplied beet of the 1926 crop was 1,051. It would not be possible except with much inquiry to state how many of these were smallholders. The amount of subsidies paid to the companies in respect of the 1926 crop was £71,421 8s. 5d.; under the British Sugar Subsidy Act no subsidy is paid direct to growers. The area under crop in 1926 was 3,649 acres; it is estimated that there will be 12,500 acres under crop in 1927. The total output for Scotland from the 1926 crop was 71,971½ cwt. of sugar and 16,705½ cwt. of molasses. With regard to the last part of the Question, the Government has assisted the development of two factories in Scotland by way of guarantees under the Trade Facilities Act. A guarantee of £180,000 has been given to the Orchard Sugar Company, Limited, respect of the Greenock factory, and a guarantee of £865,000 to the Second Anglo-Scottish Beet Sugar Corporation, of which approximately £250,000 was allocated to the cost of the Cupar factory.
§ Mr. RILEYHow much of the increased acreage for next year has been contributed to by smallholders?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI am unable to state that.