§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that many farmers in the North of Ireland are anxious to deliver their stores of potatoes now on hand, but are being informed by merchants that delivery cannot be accepted; whether they are therefore to keep on hand a perishable stock which they are anxious to dispose of and for which there is a public demand whether the Government intend to accept full delivery of the Irish potato crop; and whether he will issue instructions to agents to take delivery from the farmers now, or at least, to take the proportion required from general and not particular farmers?
Mr. ROBERTSThe Food Controller has agreed to purchase the exportable surplus of potatoes in Ireland, and he is taking delivery as quickly as circumstances will permit. Up to the present over 130,000 tons of potatoes have been exported from Ireland since the 1st November, and the whole of the surplus will be required during the season. As regards the second part of the question, 959W I may say that the Food Ministry are dealing only with the surplus potatoes in Ireland, and growers who wish to dispose of the whole of their crop at once are at liberty to do so by selling them for consumption in Ireland.
§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the price of potatoes payable by the Government is fixed, or if the Government reserves the right to alter it; whether he is aware that farmers in the Ards district, county Down, on delivering their loads are given a note bearing the weight of the delivery, but that opposite the word price is written—"At your risk"; whether the merchants who accept delivery on behalf of the Government are presuming on the simplicity of the farmers or the Government is seeking to evade its responsibility; and whether an order will be issued making the matter clear?
Mr. ROBERTSThe Food Controller is purchasing the surplus of Irish potatoes through Exporting Committees at a price free alongside steamer at port of shipment, but no price has been fixed for domestic consumption in Ireland. The Ministry have no information in regard to the matter mentioned in the second part of the hon. Member's question, but there is certainly no question of the Government seeking to evade its responsibility.
§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the strictest inspection of the potato crop is in practice, and that in many cases the percentage of rejected potatoes is very high; whether the farmer is prevented from putting such rejected potatoes to any use, and that in one season recently many tons of potatoes were deposited on the seashore as the readiest means of disposing of surplus stock for which apparently the Food Controller, in a time of great scarcity of food had no use and which the farmer did not need; and whether he will state, in view of the world-wide famine conditions prevailing, if a better use could be found for potatoes than the dumping of surplus stocks, not required by the farmers yet rejected by inspectors, on the seashore?
Mr. ROBERTSThe Food Controller takes delivery from the exporting committee of sound ware potatoes only, and any potatoes which do not fall in that category are refused at the port and are the property of the merchant who has bought them from the farmer. It is obviously to960W the merchant's advantage to put these potatoes to the best use possible. The Food Controller has no knowledge of the specific instance referred to in the second part of the question. Every effort is being made to find markets abroad for the very considerable surplus of potatoes grown in the United Kingdom.