§ 25. Mr. Kellyasked the Minister of Agriculture what report was made by the inspector who investigated the claim of Mr. F. R. Sargent, of Hurstmonceaux, for arrears of wages, which was brought to the notice of his Department in July, 1937; and whether he will explain why the arrears have not been paid?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonIt appeared from the inspector's report that arrears of wages were due in respect of payment at less than the minimum and overtime rates laid down in the Orders of the Agricultural Wages Board. Owing to the death of the employer, some delay occurred in securing payment of the arrears as application
| The number of acres under cultivation, and the number of agricultural workers employed, in England and Wales in the years mentioned were: | ||||||
| Year. | Arable (a). | Permanent Pasture, excluding rough grazings (a). | Total cultivated area (a). | Workers. | ||
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Number. | |||
| 1908 | … | … | 11,406,186 | 15,941,727 | 27,347,913 | 722,000 (b) |
| 1925 | … | … | 10,682,053 | 15,073,433 | 25,755,486 | 803,338 (c) |
| (a) On agricultural holdings of over one acre. | ||||||
| (b) Excluding all members of the occupier's family and domestic servants. | ||||||
| (c) Excluding the occupier of the holding, his wife and domestic servants. | ||||||
| Insufficient data is available to enable an estimate to be made of the total wages paid to agricultural workers in any year. |