§ Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can state exactly what powers are possessed by county war agricultural committees to enforce either the ploughing up of further grass land for the production of cereals or the cropping of existing arable land 2522W with cereals instead of soiling crops, or other crops designed to meet the shortage of feeding-stuffs?
§ Mr. PROTHEROThe powers of the Committee are contained in the Cultivation of Lands Order, 1918 (No. 2), made by the Board under Regulation 2 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, as modified by the Corn Production (Amendment) Act, 1918. I shall be glad to send a copy of the Order to my hon. Friend. It authorises Committees to serve notices on occupiers requiring them to plough up grass land or to grow corn on existing arable land, but in either case the occupier or the owner of the land can require the reference to arbitration of the question whether it is desirable in the interests of food production that the requirements of the notice should be carried out.