§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Agriculture what steps his Department has taken since October, 1924, or intends to take, to increase the supply of homegrown food; and what increase there has been, if any, apart from land used for the 358W production of sugar beet, in the acreage under cultivation since October,1924?
Mr. GUINNESSIt is difficult to deal within the limits of an oral answer with the points raised by the hon. Member, but since taking office in October, 1924, the Government have passed the British Sugar (Subsidy) Act, made permanent the relief from rating of agricultural land and applied it to farm buildings, expended considerable sums this winter and last for land drainage and encouraged the extension of the allotment movement by taking over the Allotments Bill, introduced by the hon. and gallant Member for Oxford (Captain Bourne). Considerable grants have been made for education and research and the improvement of livestock. All these measures tend to increase the prosperity of agriculture and, therefore, the supply of home-grown food. The general policy of the Government is outlined in the White Paper which was issued on Tuesday last. With regard to the second part of the question, the area of arable land in England and Wales on 4th June, 1925, was 246,620 acres less than on the corresponding date in 1924. In the same period the area under sugar beet rose by 32,309 acres.