§ Major EDWARD WOODasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the delay in the release from the Colours of skilled agricultural labourers, duly certified and applied for as pivotal men under the earlier scheme of demobilisation; and whether, in view of the fact that soldiers serving in agricultural companies are now being withdrawn from agricultural employment at a period when farmers are experiencing the utmost difficulty in getting through the necessary cultivation, he will take the necessary action to arrange that such labour shall not be withdrawn, at least during the next few weeks, until the men for whom application has been made have been released?
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Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Board are aware of the delay in the release of the "pivotal" men required for the agricultural industry, and I must refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for War on Tuesday of last week to the hon. Member for Kettering, in which he stated that "pivotal" men are being demobilised as quickly as possible. The soldiers of agricultural companies who are eligible for demobilisation under general War Office Instructions are being demobilised gradually, and it is not possible to retain these men. The majority of these men so far demobilised are agriculturists, and are not lost to agriculture, although they may change their employer. Agriculturists are being released from the forces at a greater rate than that at which the agricultural companies are being demobilised.
The figures are:
Men. Agriculturists demobilised to date 113,000 Soldiers of Agricultural Companies released 33,000 Showing a balance in favour of agriculture of 80,000 Therefore, although farmers employing soldier labour may be inconvenienced, the supply of labour, taking the country as a whole, is gradually improving.