50. Mr. De la Béreasked the Minister of Agriculture what provision the Government are making for the picking of the 807 plum crop in the Vale of Evesham and other fruit-growing districts; and what provision they have made for fruit-picking in general throughout the country, in view of the great importance of gathering in all possible fruit so as to avoid deterioration?
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr. T. Williams)County war agricultural executive committees are organising supplies of supplementary labour from every available source for seasonal agricultural work, and in so far as growers are unable themselves to obtain the labour they will need for fruit picking, committees will do their best to assist if they are given sufficient notice of growers' requirements. In Worcester, the executive committee is arranging camps in the fruit growing districts for some 400 boys and girls from public and secondary schools to Supplement the local labour, and further labour will be available from this source if necessary. The plans being made by committees in Worcester and elsewhere should be adequate to enable the fruit crop to be gathered in good condition provided the circumstances are not too unfavourable.
Mr. De la BèreWill the Parliamentary Secretary see that this receives full publicity so as to assure the growers of fruit that everything possible is being done? It is very necessary to have publicity in this matter, as they do not know what is being done.
§ Mr. WilliamsI hope that this reply will be adequately publicised.