§ Viscount SANDONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether crop reporters were employed before the War; if not, how was the information they collect obtained before the War and at what cost; if it was not, what are the fresh conditions to-day which make such information desirable which was unnecessary pre-War; and whether the Ministry has cut down its expenses in any other directions to meet this extra charge?
§ Sir R. SANDERSCrop reporters were employed for many years before the War, but the collection of the annual agricultural Returns, which is now one of the duties of the crop reporters, was before the War carried out by the officers of Customs and Excise. No information is now being collected which was not collected before the War either by the crop reporters or by the officers of Customs and Excise. The transfer of the work of collecting the agricultural Returns which took place in 1919 was made in consequence of the increased duties placed on the officers of Customs and Excise in other directions. The actual cost of the work before the War is not known, as it was not separately provided for in the Estimates, but it is not considered that the present cost is greater than if the Returns were still being collected by the officers of Customs and Excise.