§ 54. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Food when he intends to publish a further report on the East African Groundnut Scheme; and what acreages of groundnuts and other crops the Overseas Food Corporation expect to grow in Tanganyika for the 1949 harvest.
§ Mr. StracheyI intend to make a report on the scheme as soon as convenient after the Overseas Food Corporation have completed the review on which they are at present engaged. As to the second half of the Question, I have passed the hon. Member's inquiry to the Corporation, with whom the responsibility for providing such information rests, and they will, I understand, communicate with him direct.
§ Mr. HurdCan the Minister say when we are likely to see this report and whether, in the meantime, drastic changes have been made under the groundnut scheme?
§ Mr. StracheyNo, Sir, no drastic changes have been made.
§ Mr. Charles WilliamsMay the whole House, and not only my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd), have the information contained in the answer to the last part of the Question?
§ Mr. StracheyIt is Government policy that these specific questions of detail should be answered by the Corporation and not answered in this House.
§ Mr. DribergThen may I ask whether in future my right hon. Friend's Department are going to indicate to the Table that they are not responsible for matters concerned with the Overseas Food Corporation, so that we shall not be able to put down such questions as these?
§ Mr. StracheyNo, Sir, it depends on the nature of the question.
§ Captain CrookshankCan the right hon. Gentleman give an idea when the report will be available?
§ Mr. StracheyThat is another question. As I have said, the Overseas Food Corporation are completing their review and at the earliest opportunity it will be made available to the House.
§ Captain CrookshankDoes that mean within a month or six months or what?
§ Mr. StracheyI cannot be pinned down to an exact time. I shall not hurry the Corporation in the review they are making.
§ Mr. Joynson-HicksDoes the reply really mean that the Government do not know what is going on in connection with the groundnut scheme?
§ Mr. StracheyCertainly not.
§ 57. Mr. Digbyasked the Minister of Food whether he will now give information about the yield per acre of the groundnuts crop at Kongwa, Tanganyika, differentiating between the yields of the different types of vines where possible.
§ 61. Mr. Digbyasked the Minister of Food what is the total number of acres now cleared for planting groundnuts at Kongwa and in the Southern Province of Tanganyika, respectively.
§ Mr. StracheyThe responsibility for providing detailed information about the East African Groundnut Scheme rests with the Overseas Food Corporation. I have, therefore, informed the Corporation of the hon. Member's inquiries, and they will be communicating with him direct.
§ Mr. DigbySurely these two matters are absolutely fundamental to the whole of this very expensive scheme? Is it not a fact that the whole scheme will be quite unjustified unless there are much larger areas which can be cleared than have been cleared up to now?
§ Mr. StracheyYes, Sir, I can readily answer that question. It will be necessary to clear very much larger areas than have been cleared so far and, of course, that will be done.
§ Mr. StanleyIs it not a fact that in the case of some of the other nationalised industries Ministers have answered Questions directed to fundamental matters such as are contained in these Questions? Will not the right hon. Gentleman reconsider the possibility of being able to give answers himself on matters such as these, which are absolutely vital to the success of the scheme?
§ Mr. StracheyNo, Sir, I would not suggest for a moment that I would not answer Questions on this scheme, but a 1248 question as to the acreage to be cleared in one particular area is a question of very precise detail, which I do not think should be given.
§ Mr. KeelingDid not the Minister answer the same sort of questions when Unilever were operating the scheme which he now declines to answer when it is operated by the Overseas Food Corporation?
§ Mr. StracheySince the passage of the Act, certainly. The Corporation has been set up and the uniform method of answering Questions has been adopted.
§ Mr. DribergSurely the latter part of Question No. 54, on which the matter first arose, cannot be regarded as a detailed matter of day-to-day administration—the whole acreage for the whole of Tanganyika for a whole year?
§ Mr. StracheyOh, no, that part of the Question, I think, will be covered by the review of the whole matter when it comes before the House.
§ Mr. EdenWill the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his decision, as all he is doing now is to create an atmosphere of quite unnecessary suspicion about the whole business?
§ Mr. StracheyNo, Sir, it is a question of which questions are best answered in the House and which are best answered by the Corporation and I am willing to consider any particular point.
§ Air-Commodore HarveyOn a point of Order. Earlier this afternoon the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation dealt with questions relating to aircraft, etc., for other corporations. Why should the Minister of another Department refuse to give the information which is now sought?
§ Mr. DigbyIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.