Viscountess ASTORasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount paid out by the Exchequer in subsidies to beet sugar for each year since this subsidy was initiated; and how much of it went to the growers of beet and how much to the factories?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have been asked to reply. The total payments of subsidy under the British Sugar (Subsidy) Act, 1929, in respect of sugar and molasses produced at the beet sugar factories in Great Britain in each financial year were as follow:
Financial Year. £ s. d. 1924 … 492,040 4 7 1925 … 1,066,089 19 0 1926 … 3,225,858 15 1 1927 … 4,309,259 15 0 1928 … 2,854,239 4 6 1929 … 4,229,729 16 11 1930 (estimated) … 6,000,000 0 0 Total … £22,177,217 15 1 Very approximately, it may be said that one-half of the subsidy payments have been secured by beet growers in the prices
236Wnegotiated on their behalf by the National Farmers' Union with the Beet Sugar Factories Committee.