§ 29. Mr. T. Williamsasked the Minister of Agriculture what proportion of the 1,558,000 tons of wheat sold off farms in England and Wales in the year 1935–36 was of millable quality and qualified for deficiency payments, and how much of this wheat was used for flour by the millers, and similar figures for 1936–37?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. W. S. Morrison)The figures of 1,558,000 tons and 1,118,000 tons which I gave in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Newbury (Brigadier-General Brown), on 27th June, represent the total amount of millable wheat credited to growers in England and Wales under the Wheat Act, 1932, in 1935–36 and 1936–37 respectively, all of which qualified for deficiency payments. The figures also represent the bulk of the wheat sold off farms in those years. I have no information as to how much of the wheat was used by flour millers.
§ Mr. WilliamsOught not the figure sought in the question be given to the 20 House so that we might know exactly to what extent we are subsidising poultry food and cattle food?
§ Mr. MorrisonI should have to consider whether it is possible to get the information. The present rule is that the quality of the food is the standard by which deficiency payment is decided, and not the destination of the food.