Captain TERRELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture how many schemes for the constitution of County Agricultural Committees have been submitted to and approved by the Ministry, respectively; in how many cases approval has been refused because of the failure to appoint, as Members of the Committee, only persons having practical knowledge of Agriculture and what agricultural organisations, if any, have been requested by the Ministry to submit the names of suitable individuals to serve as the nominees of the Ministry on county committees?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe number of schemes submitted by county agricultural committees which have been officially approved is fourteen. Twenty-four further schemes have been provisionally approved, and nine are under consideration. The lists of members submitted by the county councils are carefully examined to ensure that all members are qualified under the terms of Section 7 (4)(d) of the Act, and so far no scheme has been refused owing to failure to comply with this Regulation. While the Minister does not bind himself to give representation on the committees to agricultural organisations as such, he 591W has promised to consider any suitable names submitted by such organisations, and also the county councils have been urged to consider the claims of the various agricultural societies existing in their areas.