HL Deb 01 June 1954 vol 187 cc1035-6
LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, this is the comparable Scheme for Scotland, and on behalf of my noble friend Lord Home I beg to move that it be approved.

Moved, That the Agriculture (Ploughing Grants) (Scotland) Draft Scheme, 1954, reported from the Special Orders Committee on the 20th of May, be approved.—(Lord Carrington.)

LORD MATHERS

My Lords, I am sure the House will be ready to agree to the continuation of this Scheme of ploughing grants. May I ask the noble Lord whether there are any statistics to show the effects of the grants, and whether the acreage is being increased or what the position is? Are any details of that kind available?

LORD CARRINGTON

It is a little difficult to give up-to-date statistics about tillage acreage, because the June 4 returns are now the only comprehensive returns which we get. As the noble Lord will realise, June 4 is nearly with us, so we cannot say yet what the figures are. In the last two years in which these schemes have been operated, the tillage acreage has increased quite considerably—though rather less last year than in the year before, I am afraid that I have not with me the exact figures for Scotland, but in England and Wales the tillage acreage rose by 145,000 acres in the year before last and by about 65,000 acres last year. I am afraid that I cannot say at this particular moment what the figures will be for this June.

LORD MATHERS

My Lords, I realise the difficulty in which I have placed the noble Lord in asking for information of that kind without notice. But I am quite satisfied with what he has said.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I do not want to quarrel about figures, but I should be obliged if the noble Lord could look into the figure of 65,000 acres which he has just given. He was, I understand, speaking from memory, and I think that his memory was perhaps at fault, because my own recollection was that the figure was rather smaller. Still, the noble Lord may be right.

LORD CARRINGTON

As a matter of fact I was not speaking from memory. I was reading out the actual figure, which was 65,000 acres.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

Thank you.