§ Mr. LAURENCE HARDYasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the outbreaks of wart disease of 1508W potato occurred at Chobham, Richmond, and Windlesham, Surrey, in 1911, and at Ham, Surrey, in 1912; whether the Board (until written to in 1912) failed to communicate this information to any local authority or to Wye College, whose duty it is to advise farmers in Surrey on plant diseases; whether any outbreaks have occurred in Sussex or Kent; and whether the Board intend to organise their new horticultural department in a way that such information is immediately given to the scientific advisory centres for the counties concerned?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative, and to the third part in the negative. The outbreaks of wart disease to which the hon. Member refers were dealt with quite satisfactorily by the local authority. I do not think that any advantage would be gained by the adoption of the suggestion made in the last part of the question.