§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the production of foodstuffs in the case of small farmers is seriously impeded by their want of capital and the impossibility of obtaining advances on their holdings, owing to the breach of faith by the Government after the last war; whether, in view of the necessity of increasing home production of foodstuffs, he will take steps to remedy this position and will give assurances that any subsidy now offered will be sustained for a certain period after the war; whether the Government will itself arrange advances where these are shown to be necessary or desirable; and what measures are, in fact, now operative to meet this position?
Mr. HudsonI cannot accept the contention in the first part of the Question. Most farmers have no difficulty in obtaining the credit they require from the banks or other commercial sources. Those farmers who are not able to do so may obtain assistance under the Ministry's Agricultural Goods and Services Scheme, which was expressly designed to help small farmers in the circumstances which the hon. Member has in mind. I am sending him particulars. Apart from this, the main assistance given to fanners is the system of fixed prices and an assured market for the great majority of farm products. In this connection I would remind the hon. Member of the statement I made in the House on 26th November, 1940, that
the present system of fixed prices and an assured market will be maintained for the duration of hostilities and for at least one year thereafter."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 26th November, 1940, col. 92, Vol. 367.]