§ 46. Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harveyasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been directed to the speech made by the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence at Fareham on 13th February, in which he dealt with the need for increasing home agricultural production; and whether that speech may be regarded as an expression of Government policy?
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Baldwin)I have seen a report of my right hon. Friend's speech, in which he drew attention to the improvement which has taken place in the agricultural industry and—what would naturally be in his mind—the benefit of increased home production in the event of war. I do not regard my right hon. Friend's speech as expressing any new policy, but rather as emphasising facts which must commend themselves to all of us.
§ Sir M. Barclay-HarveyIs my right hon. Friend aware that we have it on high scientific authority that a large proportion of the land of this country is still not in full productive capacity, and does he not think that, in the interests of defence, at any rate in wartime, that matter should be dealt with?
§ Captain HeilgersWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that a large part of the difficulty that we had with our food supplies at home in the last War was due to the fact that our land was not in full productivity in 1914?