§ 24. Captain P. MACDONALDasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the decision of the Irish Free State Department of Agriculture to grant a bounty of £4 per ton on Irish Free State potatoes exported up to 30th June of this year; and whether, in view of the fact that the duty on imported potatoes into this country only amounts to £4 13s. 4d. per ton, he proposes to take any further steps to ensure that the market will not be over supplied to the prejudice of the British farmers?
§ Major ELLIOTSubject to the qualification that the bounty is confined to new potatoes, the answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the latter part, I do not anticipate, judging from past experience, that, apart perhaps from any temporary effect on some local markets, imports of new potatoes from the Irish Free State in June are likely to be sufficient to prejudice the position of British growers.
§ Major ELLIOTI cannot see that there is any vendetta about this.