§ 50. Mr. Byersasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster the total number of British officers employed in the agricultural section of the Allied Control Com mission for the British zone in Germany; and whether he is satisfied that this number is adequate for the tasks that they have to perform.
§ Mr. J. HyndThe number of British officers employed in the Food and Agriculture Branch of the British element of the Commission is 305. These numbers are not adequate to carry out the executive work of a large food control organisation and the functions of the British officers are necessarily limited to the supervision of the German organisation in which a staff of 20,000 was engaged at the end of the war.
§ Mr. ByersWill the Minister take steps to increase the size of that staff in order that they can adequately carry out the tremendous burdens placed on them?
§ Mr. HyndI am afraid that to be 100 per cent. assured we would have to increase the staff by enough to make up the 20,000 to displace the whole German personnel. What we are trying to do is to provide the minimum staff necessary to apply the essential supervision over these staffs. Beyond that I am afraid it will be difficult for us to go without accepting very large commitments in this and other divisions.
§ Mr. ByersIs the Minister aware that there is a feeling in Germany that the present number is totally inadequate, and could we have a few more to ease the burden?
§ Mr. HyndI am aware that there is a feeling in most of the divisions in Germany that the staff is inadequate to deal effectively with the executive work as well as the supervisory work, but that is a situation which we must accept. We could not repopulate Germany with sufficient men from this country to undertake the whole of the executive work.
Mr. VaneIs it not the policy to have small staffs which will give the Germans orders and not to try to do their work for them?
§ Mr. HyndThat is roughly the policy I am trying to pursue in opposition to the policy which seems to be suggested.