§ Mr. ALDENasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Middlesex War Agricultural Committee had represented to the county council the serious condition of the agricultural industry in that county owing to the number of key men of highly skilled capacity who have been called up; and whether he intends to take any action with regard to the report?
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§ Sir R. WINFREYThe hon. Member probably refers to a paragraph in the report of the Middlesex War Agricultural Committee, dated the 11th ult., which relates to the effect of the depletion of skilled labour on any programme of increased tillage for the 1919 harvest. That effect has been met by the suspension of the compulsory programme of increased tillage which was announced by the President at a meeting of the Federation of War Agricultural Committees on 3rd July, and which was indicated in the President's statement in this House on the 18th ult. I do not think that in the existing circumstances it is practicable for me to take any further action in the matter.