32. Lieut.-Colonel Sir ARNOLD WILSONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether the producers of sugar in the British Colonies and Dominions have been consulted regarding the sugar marketing scheme put forward by the United Kingdom Sugar Industry Committee; and, if so, whether he will make public any representations he has received from them on the scheme?
§ Mr. ELLIOTNo, Sir. The scheme in question has had the usual public inquiry, when it was open to any interested to bring forward representations. Subsequent to the preliminary stages, any marketing scheme, as my hon. and gallant Friend Till be aware, must be laid before both Houses of Parliament for approval or rejection, and during these various stages discussion on all the questions at issue is entirely free and public.
§ 33. Sir A. WILSONasked the Minister of agriculture whether ht received a report on the inquiry held by Mr. Joshua Scholefield, K.C., into the proposed sugar marketing scheme; and whether he intends to make public the terms of the report and the evidence submitted?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThe report was presented to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself in June last. The inquiry was held in public for six days and the evidence submitted has therefore already been made public. The Commissioner's report on any such inquiry is, as my hon. and gallant Friend will recollect, submitted direct to the Minister and is confidential.