§ Captain STRICKLANDasked the Minister of Agriculture whether bacon curers or producers, on notification to the railway companies, may elect to transport their pigs by road in hired vehicles; and whether in that case a rebate is allowed from the flat rate equal to that allowed if they carry them in their own vehicles?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am informed that under the flat rate agreement for the transport of pigs sold in accordance with 1405W the Pigs Marketing Scheme, bacon curers have to arrange for the transport of the pigs at their own expense in those cases where the producers' premises are within a radius of 25 miles from the curers' factory and the curers are unable to meet the specified minimum loading requirements for the transport of pigs by road by the railway companies, and there is no agreement with the railway companies for transport by rail. In those cases the railway companies are under no obligation to carry the pigs, and the curers can, if they so desire, carry them in hired vehicles. They would be entitled to the same rebate whether they use their own or hired vehicles. In cases where bacon curers have the right to elect to convey the pigs at their own expense on giving the required notice to the railway companies, they are only entitled to convey them in their own vehicles or to arrange for them to be conveyed in the producers' vehicles.
§ Captain STRICKLANDasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the aggregate amount of money paid to the railway companies in the year ended 31st December, 1935, for the conveyance of pigs to the bacon-curing factories under the flat-rate agreement; and how many pigs were carried by those companies for the period covered by such payments?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am advised that the information desired by my hon. and gallant Friend is not at present available. As I informed him on the 18th February, the total number of pigs actually transported during 1935 by the railway companies under the flat rate agreement was 1,455,732.