59. Mr. Vaneasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that there is sufficient hay in the country to meet all reasonable demands before the coming season's crop is available; and what steps he proposes to take.
Mr. T. WilliamsYes, Sir. I should like to take this opportunity of acknowledging the great assistance which my Department has had from the hay trade and from the National Farmers' Union in recent months in directing supplies of hay to the areas where they are most needed. I am satisfied that, unless the weather is abnormally bad, there should be no serious difficulty in meeting reasonable demands for hay for the remainder of the winter.
Mr. VaneCan the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the hay is actually in the country, and not just waiting to be imported? Secondly, is he satisfied that, in case of bad weather, it could be distributed sufficiently quickly to be of use?