§ Sir D. NEWTONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the Regulations affecting seeds imported and used for agricultural purposes in Canada and America, requiring them to be stained distinctive colours under Customs supervision, thus signifying their adaptability or otherwise 2224W for agricultural purposes; and if he is prepared to introduce safeguards on similar lines for agriculturists using foreign seeds imported into this country?
Mr. GUINNESSI am aware of the Regulations to which my hon. Friend refers, requiring the staining of certain kinds of seeds when imported into the United States of America and Canada, but I have received no representations as to the desirability of dealing with seeds imported into this country in a similar manner. At the same time the requirements of the Regulations made under the Seeds Act of 1920, whereby a statement as to the country of origin must be made in the case of a sale of any of the principal kinds of grass and clover seed, should, in my view, afford a sufficient safeguard for agriculturists against the use of seeds coming from countries where the conditions make them unadaptable for use in this country.