§ Mr. HANCOCKasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, seeing that there is a danger of considerable areas of land not being cropped in 1919, and a great reduction in the production of food in Derbyshire owing to the scarcity of labour, he will cease calling this class of labour for service in the Army of Occupation?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a question on1154W the same subject asked by the hon. Member for Shrewsbury on Tuesday last. The soldiers on the land are being withdrawn by the military authorities, and not by the Board of Agriculture. Ten per cent. will be retained, the recall of the men having been postponed to enable the selection to be made.