§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (THE DUKE OF NORFOLK)My Lords, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, I hope to detain the House for only a few moments. The Sugar Industry Bill, which has passed through another place without amendments and indeed, without debate, is related to the Sugar Industry (Reorganization) Act, 1936, the principal features of which will no doubt be familiar to your Lordships. The main purpose of that Act was to reorganize the industry in order to secure the maximum efficiency in the production of home-grown sugar, and so to preserve sugar beet growing as an integral part of our agricultural system. Thanks to the good progress made towards these objectives in the short time available before the outbreak of war, we have been able in this war to produce substantial quantities of sugar and, in addition, valuable supplies of feeding-stuffs for our live stock, particularly dairy cows.
When war broke out, my noble friend the Minister of Food assumed control over the production, refining, sale and distribution of sugar in the United Kingdom; this rendered redundant most of the duties and functions of my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and of the Sugar Commission under the Act of 1936. This small Bill is intended, therefore, to relieve the Minister of Agriculture and the Sugar Commission of these functions during the war period. The highly complex procedure set out in the Act of 1936, for the payment of assistance to the Sugar Corporation, proved too difficult to work under war conditions, and a simpler method of payment by the Minister of Food during the war has been adopted. The opportunity has been taken in the Bill of tying up a number of loose ends resulting from the change of responsibilities of Ministers, and of making certain retrospective adjustments. These amendments are, however, of so technical a nature that, with your Lordships' permission, I propose to leave detailed consideration of them till a later stage of the Bill. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Duke of Norfolk.)
661§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed.