§ Sir I. Alberyasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the shortage of threshing tackle in Kent; and whether such machinery can be made available through war agricultural committees, especially the new type which need only five men instead of 13 or 14 men?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI am not aware of any general shortage of threshing tackle in Kent this season, but if my hon. Friend will give me particulars, it may be possible to arrange through the usual trade channels before the end of the threshing season for some measure of relief to be given to any district that is inadequately served. As the ploughing-up campaign will not increase the area of corn crops to be threshed until next season, special facilities for threshing are not being provided by County War Agricultural Executive Committees at the present time, but the arrangements that will be necessary for threshing the corn harvested in 1940 are at present under consideration, and if my hon. Friend will give me particulars of the machine to which he refers, I will have it borne in mind.