HC Deb 02 May 1923 vol 163 cc1415-6W
Lieut.-Colonel NALL

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the proposal to give State financial aid to farmers' co-operative societies, he will state the total amount of public money given each year from 1910 until 1922 to agricultural wholesale societies, including the Agricultural Organisation Society and to the Agricultural Wholesale Society; how many of these societies have failed; and how many are still in existence?

Sir R. SANDERS

No grants of public money have been made to any agricultural wholesale society. The Agricultural Organisation Society, which does not come within this description, has received grants from the State for the purpose of propaganda work in connection with agricultural co-operation. The amounts of the grants made for the years 1910–1922 weer as follow:

£
1910–11 1,119
1911–12 3,040
1912–13 8,501
1913–14 10,276
1914–15 5,500
1915–16 11,290
1916–17 8,914
1917–18 15,601
1918–19 27,857
1919–20 47,528
1920–21 32,000
1921–22 15,586
1922–23 4,556
Total 191,768

The society is still in existence, but no grant from public funds is provided for it during the current financial year.