§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEasked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the fact that not only has the condition of agriculture deteriorated in the arable parts of Great Britain since May, 1929, but also that in the last few weeks bankruptcies among farmers have been increasing; and is he prepared to take steps, even of a temporary nature, to relieve the threatened distress?
§ Mr. N. BUXTONAs regards the last part of the question, I have nothing to add to previous statements on the subject. The number of bankruptcies among farmers for the last quarter of the year ended 31st December, 1929, were 89 as compared with 102 for the corresponding quarter of 1928. The figures for the whole of the year 1929 were 358 as compared with 468 for the previous year. The figures for 1927 were also higher than those for 1929.