§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Agriculture why hops are still controlled; under what conditions are foreign and colonial hops permitted to enter this country; and whether he has any evidence to show that this control tends to keep up the price of hops in this country?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe control of hops is continued in order to afford a reasonable opportunity for re-planting some 20,000 acres which were grubbed by order of the Government in the national interest during the War. As this requires a considerable amount of capital and special apparatus, control for a period of five years was sanctioned by Parliament under the Ministry of Food (Continuance) Act, 1920. Foreign and colonial hops are not released until the applicant has taken his allotted share of the English crop. With regard to the last part of the question, a view taken over the past four years shows that the English buyer has benefited considerably from the operation of the Hop Control.