§ Mr. LOUIS SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of acres growing sugar-beet during the last season, together with its allocation to the different counties in which this industry is carried on?
§ Dr. ADDISONThe acreage under sugar-beet as returned on 4th June, 1930, in each county in England and Wales was as follow:
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Acres. England and Wales … … 347,100 England … … 346,200 Wales … … 900 England: Bedford … … 3,160 Berkshire … … 730 Buckingham … … 450 Cambridge … … 12,410 Isle of Ely … … 31,560 Chester … … 150 Cornwall … … 930 Cumberland … … 90 Derby … … 550 Devon … … 870 Dorset … … 460 Durham … … 130 Essex … … 12,160 Gloucester … … 1,050 Hampshire … … 990 Isle of Wight … … 230 Hereford … … 3,850 Hertford … … 2,280 Huntingdon … … 11,450 Kent … … 600 Lancaster … … 90 Leicester … … 1,440 Lincoln Holland … … 15,830
Acres. Lincoln Kesteven … 20,760 Lincoln Lindsey … 25,480 Middlesex and London … — Norfolk … 74,630 Northampton … 3,250 Soke of Peterboro' … 4,020 Northumberland … 180 Nottingham … 10,270 Oxford … 1,260 Rutland … 790 Salop … 16,170 Somerset … 2,230 Stafford … 5,750 Suffolk, East … 28,800 Suffolk, West … 22,650 Surrey … 50 Sussex, East … 110 Sussex, West … 1,730 Warwick … 2,610 Westmorland … — Wiltshire … 1,040 Worcester … 3,080 York, East Riding … 9,190 York, North Riding … 5,390 York, West Riding … 5,290 Wales: … Anglesey … 20 Brecon … 20 Cardigan … 60 Carmarthen … — Caernarvon … — Denbigh … 50 Flint … 160 Glamorgan … 60 Merioneth … — Monmouth … 80 Montgomery … 30 Pembroke … 400 Radnor … Nil. A dash (—) indicates that the area is less than 10 acres. These figures are provisional and are subject to revision.
§ Mr. SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that, owing to the low price of sugar and the reduction of the sugar-beet subsidy next year, difficulty exists in reaching remunerative prices between the factories and the farmers; and whether, in the circumstances, he will consider continuing the subsidy now existing without reduction, at all events until the sugar market readjusts itself?
§ Dr. ADDISONI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 30th496W October to the hon. Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Butler).