§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I beg to move that this Order be approved. The Agricultural Lime Scheme which has been in operation since 1937 enables a subsidy to be paid to farmers for about half their expenditure in acquiring and transporting lime. The Agriculture Act of 1947 extended the scheme until August 1, 1952, and made provision for a further extension to August 1, 1954, which is what the Order before your Lordships proposes. Liming the land is the basis of soil fertility. Consumption had increased by 1950 to over 6,000,000 tons annually, and although there was a marked falling off in 1951, with the 386 renewal of farming confidence there has been something of a revival of liming this spring. I hope your Lordships will agree that this lime subsidy is one of the best of the agricultural subsidies, and it has stood the test of time. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Agricultural Lime Schemes (Extension of Period) Order, 1952, reported from the Special Orders Committee on Thursday last, be approved.—(Lord Carrington.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.