§ Major GLYNasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what would have been the cost to the Treasury if the Corn Production Act had been continued, and had been made applicable to wheat only, in each year to date since the repeal of that statute?
Mr. GUINNESSI have been asked to reply. The Corn Production Act, 1917, as amended by the Agriculture Act, 1920, provided that if the average price of wheat of any year was less than the minimum price as fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the occupier of any land on which wheat had been produced should be entitled to payment in respect of each acre of a sum equal to four times the difference between576W the average price and the minimum price per statutory quarter.
The minimum price of wheat of each year was to bear the same proportion to 68s. per customary quarter as the cost of production of wheat in that year bore to the cost of production in 1919, but in ascertaining the variation in the cost of production no account was to be taken of any variation of rent, except any variation that was attributable to a variation in the cost of maintenance. The variation in costs of production as compared with 1919 was to be determined by three commissioners appointed under the Act. In view of the repeal of the Corn Production Acts no commissioners were appointed and consequently the necessary information to answer my hon. and gallant Friend's question is not, available.