§ Mr. De Chairasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the annual sum now contributed, in whatever form, by the Exchequer to agriculture; and what is the annual sum received from all sources, including the wheat levy, at present added to the prices which farmers would otherwise receive?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleThe amount included in the Votes for the current year 589W (including Supplementary Votes) representing contributions to agriculture from the Exchequer, together with the rebate on taxation of beet sugar, is £15,727,599, made up as follows:
Class VI. Vote. Amount. No. £ 8 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 3,037,487 (a) 21 Department of Agriculture for Scotland. 694,710 (a) 16 Development Fund (Rural Economy) (App. Part II). 100,025 9 Beet Sugar Subsidy 2,250,000 10 Milk, England and Wales. 931,110 22 Milk, Scotland 11 Live Stock Industry and Cattle Fund. 4,774,967 11A Land Fertility Improvement. 864,300 — Rebate on Taxation of Beet Sugar. 2,600,000 15,727,599 (b) Notes (a) These figures are the gross totals of the respective Votes (including contributions to the Votes from the Development Fund), after excluding provision for non-agricultural purposes, namely: Kew Gardens, Fisheries, Congested Districts and Transport Services. Of the total sum of £3,732,197, £810,119 represents the Headquarters expenditure of the two Agriculture Departments. (b) Nothing is included in this figure in respect of the benefit derived by agriculture from derating under the Local Government Act, 1929. The amount included in the block grant in respect of the year 1928–29 on the basis of the benefit to agriculture in that year totalled approximately £10,800,000; but it is not possible to express in terms of money the benefit derived in the current year. The answer to the second part of the question is as follows:
£ Beet-Sugar Subsidy 2,250,000 (i) Milk Votes 931,110 Live Stock Industry and Cattle Fund (Payments to Producers) 4,630,000 (ii) Land Fertility Improvement 850,000 (ii) Wheat Deficiency Payments 1,340,367 (iii) Total £10,001,477 (iv) Notes
- (i) The Beet Sugar Subsidy is paid to the British Sugar Corporation, Limited, in respect of the sugar produced at the various factories. It is impossible to apportion the benefit of the subsidy between the Corporation and the growers.
- (ii) The differences between these figures and the corresponding figures in the first part of the answer are due to the omission from
590 the second part of all but the provision, in the two Votes under the headings "Payments to Producers" and "Contributions towards Cost of Lime and Basic Slag" respectively. - (iii) The figure for Wheat Deficiency Payments is the figure of actual payments from the Wheat Fund in the cereal year ended 31st July, 1937.
- (iv) Part II of the Agriculture Act, 1937, provides that if in 1937 or any of the following four years the United Kingdom price of oats is 7s. 7d. per cwt. or less there may be paid, subject to certain conditions, to the occupier of any farm comprising land under oats or barley, a subsidy at a rate equal to six times the difference between the said price and 8s. or at a rate of £1 (whichever is the less) for each acre of such land. No payments under this provision will in any case fall to be made in the current financial year.