§ Mr. G. Macdonaldasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the number of farm workers in Lancashire in 2270W 1931 and at present; and to what extent machine farming has affected the employing capacity of agriculture?
§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith:The number of workers employed on agricultural holdings of over one acre in Lancashire, exclusive of the occupiers themselves and domestic servants, was 27,813 in 1931 and 23,448 in 1938. The returns for June, 1939, are not yet tabulated. I regret that information is not available to enable me to reply to the second part of the question.