§ 29. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Minister of Agriculture 19 whether the Sugar Commission has yet reached any decision with regard to the possibility of reducing the transport charges incurred by growers of sugar-beet situated at a considerable distance from the nearest factory; and to what extent this will equalise the amount received for sugar-beet by a grower in Suffolk with the amount received by a grower in the Isle of Wight?
§ Mr. W. S. MORRISONThe Sugar Commission, in announcing their recent award on the terms and conditions of the contract for the purchase of next season's beet crop, have referred to the special claims made by growers in areas distant from any factory to be relieved of some part of their freight charges. The commission consider that this question is closely linked up with the question of factory siting and capacity, on which further investigation is required. Pending the result of this investigation, and without prejudice to future policy in this respect, the commission have decided that for the 1937 season the British Sugar Corporation shall defray railway freight charges in excess of 7s. per ton on all sugar-beet accepted by the corporation for delivery to the factories at Allscott and Kidderminster. With regard to the second part of the question, the commission inform me that it is not possible to make any useful comparison between the amount received for sugar-beet by growers in Suffolk and the Isle of Wight, as the receipts will vary with the situation of the individual farm and the factory to which the beet is consigned.