§ Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give 298W a list of sugar-beet factories completed and in course of construction in this country as a result of the Treasury subsidy given to the industry; and whether he will state the amount of money hitherto expended as subsidy, and the amount of capital invested in the industry apart from the subsidy?
Mr. GUINNESSThe following beet-sugar factories are, or will be, in operation in the present manufacturing season:
- Cantley (Norfolk).
- Kelham (Nottinghamshire).
- Colwick (Nottinghamshire).
- Spalding (Lincolnshire).
- Kidderminister (Worcestershire).
- Ely (Cambridgeshire).
- Ipswich (Suffolk).
- Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk).
- Wissington (Norfolk).
- Greenock (Renfrewshire).
Of these factories, Cantley and Kelham were producing sugar prior to the 1924–25 season, which was the first year of subsidy.
The amount of money expended as gross subsidy in respect of the 1924–25 manufacturing season was £509,200 4s. 6d. and up to the 4th instant for the present manufacturing season £378,965 14s. 5d. The total nominal capital of the above 10 factories is £2,845,000; the issued share capital being £2,151,264. My hon. Friend will realise that the subsidy is not an investment in the factory companies; it is payable on sugar and molasses produced, and as such is a part of the revenue of the factories. Moreover, I would remind my hon. Friend that a considerable portion of the subsidy is passed on to the farmers in the price which the companies are paying for beet, while farmers are gaining experience with this new crop.