Captain TUDOR-REESasked the Minister of Agriculture how many officials have been appointed under the Agriculture Act, 1920; and whether their services will be dispensed with in consequence of the decision to repeal Part I of that Act?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe number of officers in the employment of county agricultural committees in England and Wales, who are engaged either wholly or partly on work under Part I of the Agriculture Act, 1920, is 152, exclusive of clerical staff. Many of these officers give part of their time to other branches of county agricultural work for which the Ministry is neither administratively nor financially responsible. Very few of the above represent new appointments, practically all having been taken over from the agricultural executive committees, who acted under the Corn Production Acts and the Defence of the Realm Regulations before the Act of 1920 came into operation. On the Ministry's own staff there are 44 commissioners and sub-commissioners engaged partly on work under Part I of the Agriculture 1815W Act, but mainly on work under the Land Settlement Scheme. In regard to the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Merioneth (Mr. H. Jones) on the 22nd instant, to which I may add that instructions have been given to the agricultural committees that all appointments connected with work done on behalf of the Ministry under Part I of the Act are to terminate not later than 30th September next, except in relation to certain services which cannot be brought to an end until after that date.