§ Mr. Gledhillasked the Minister of Health what suggestions or warnings were made to the Government last year that there should be an increase in home production of medicinal herbs; and whether the national or local authorities have initiated schemes to provide for an increase to meet requirements due to war emergencies, and to prevent a rise in prices owing to inadequate supplies?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe suggestions and warnings that have been received range from various schemes for growing medicinal herbs to proposals for collecting wild herbs by all kinds of bodies and individuals. As stated in reply to a Question by the late Member for West Newcastle on 2nd November last the situation has been kept under careful review and steps have already been taken to encourage the cultivation in England of some of the more important plants in question.