§ 62. Colonel Ropnerasked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent the figures given in the recent White Paper, Cmd. 7072, on the Post-War Contribution of British Agriculture to the Saving of Foreign Exchange, have been affected by the results of the past winter.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsAs the text of Cmd. 7072 makes clear, the figures there given are somewhat theoretical and have been made unrealistic by various developments since 1944. There Would, therefore, be 2009 no point in adjusting them. It is clear, however, that the weather of last winter has caused an appreciable set-back in agricultural production, and in particular the losses of sheep and lambs will have a continuing effect for some years and will, therefore, diminish any expected saving of foreign exchange.