§ Mr. FIELDasked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he is aware that, since the world's corner in wheat has collapsed, the bears through option and future gambling contracts have been the means of bringing about a heavy decline in these contracts and sympathetically one in the prices of all actual cereals, and that the result has been a fall of some 6s. to 8s. per quarter in English wheat; and, if so, whether he will consider the desirability, in order to protect British and Colonial agriculture as well as our masses from the effects of these gambling contracts, to propose legislation as laid down in the resolution unanimously passed at the International Agricultural Congress in Vienna in May, 1907, thus supporting all those countries who have years ago passed or proposed similar legislative measures?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI am not sure that the facts with regard to recent fluctuations in the price of wheat are as stated in the question; but, in any case, the President does not propose to introduce legislation in the direction indicated.