§ Mr. HAYESasked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of the Government subsidy paid to date in respect of the sugar-beet industry; the approximate quantities of sugar, &c., produced; the number of persons, other than those normally employed in agriculture, employed in the new industry; and the average number of hours worked by, and the average weekly wages paid to, the workpeople in question?
Mr. GUINNESSThe gross subsidy paid up to the 22nd November, 1927, on sugar and molasses has been £6,169,915. Approximately 5,791,782 cwt. Of sugar and 2213W 1,222,851 cwt. of molasses have been produced. No estimate can be given of the quantity of pulp produced. 8,400 weekly wage earners are at present employed in the 19 beet-sugar factories; the average number of hours worked daily is approximately 9.4. I have no information as to the average weekly wage paid to these workpeople.