§ 46. Mr. T. Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture the extent of the demands for the various advisory leaflets for farmers and allotment-holders issued by his Department?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. R. S. Hudson)There has been a marked increase this year in the demands for leaflets in the "Growmore" series for farmers and in the "Dig for Victory" series for allotment-holders and gardeners, and steps have been taken to ensure that these leaflets reach those who will derive benefit from them. From 1st January to 30th April this year, the demands for all "Growmore" leaflets totalled over 1,250,000, compared with about 400,000 for the same period in 1940. Nearly 250,000 leaflets on "The Early Bite," "Nitrogen—The Way to High Yields," and "Kale for Winter Feed" have been issued to date this year, compared with about 30,000 during the whole of last year. During March last, the Postmaster-General, at my request, arranged for a house-to-house distribution in rural areas of the principal "Dig for Victory" leaflet—"Vegetable Production in Private Gardens." Including demands from the urban areas, 5,000,000 copies of this leaflet have been distributed in the past two months, together with over 600,000 copies of a coloured cropping chart showing how to plan the production of vegetables for winter as well as summer. Over 1,000,000 copies of the various advisory leaflets in the "Dig for Victory" series have also been issued to date.
§ Mr. SmithIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that the advice given in these leaflets is generally followed by farmers and allotment-holders?
§ Mr. HudsonAs a result of the propaganda campaign on the wireless and in the Press, more attention is being paid to, and more use is being made of, the advice made available for farmers and allotment-holders.