POTATO MARKETING SCHEME. (Hansard, 31 July 1939)

Mr. Mitchell
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the valuable services performed by merchants on behalf of potato growers; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure the continuance of these services under the new arrangement contemplated by the amendments to the Potato Marketing Scheme?

§ Sir W. Womersley
Both my right hon. Friend and the Potato Marketing Board gladly recognise the value of the services performed by the merchants. My right hon. Friend does not, however, consider that the particular amendment of the Potato Marketing Scheme to which my hon. Friend evidently refers, represents any fundamental departure from the existing principles of the scheme, and he sees no reason, therefore, for taking any action such as my hon. Friend contemplates.

§ Mr. Holdsworth
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that an agreement was entered into some time ago by the Potato Marketing Board and the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades which provided that the latter should submit four names for nomination as special members to the board, but that this agreement has not recently been operated; and whether he can state what alternative arrangements have been made to ensure that an adequate number of persons on the board are expert in matters concerning distribution, as at the present time the whole of the members of the Potato Marketing Board are elected by producer-interests with the exception of the Government representative members?

§ Sir W. Womersley
I am informed that, since the inception of the scheme, a verbal 1959W understanding has existed between the Potato Marketing Board and the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades Limited, whereby the board has invited the federation each year to submit names for nomination at the annual general meeting as special members of the board. I understand that this practice has been consistently adhered to, but that the board was unable to recommend one of the persons suggested last year because that would have involved the displacement of a sitting member, who had represented distributive interests from the beginning. There are at the present time four special members of the board who are representative of distributors, and I see no reason to suppose that the present arrangements are inadequate.

§ Mr. Porritt
asked the Minister of Agriculture when he received the report of the commissioner who held the inquiry into the proposed amendments to the Potato Marketing Scheme; and whether, in view of his decision not to modify these amendments in order to meet the objections of distributors and others to the proposed extension of the board's power to buy and sell surplus potatoes, he can state what steps he is taking to consult bodies representing distributors and consumers with regard to the proposals in question before submitting the amendments to Parliament?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
The report of the commissioner who held the public inquiry into objections to the proposed amendments to the Potato Marketing Scheme was submitted to the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself on 30th November, 1938. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 27th July to my hon. Friend the Senior Member for Southampton (Mr. Craven-Ellis).

§ Mr. Naylor
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the representations from the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades against the proposed amendment of the Potato Marketing Scheme, with special reference to the proposed substitute Clause 74; and, if so, whether he is prepared to meet the objections raised?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on1960W 27th July to my hon. Friend the senior Member for Southampton (Mr. Craven-Ellis). As regards the second part, the draft amendments of the Potato Marketing Scheme recently laid before Parliament had already been modified to meet certain of the objections raised at the Public Inquiry by the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades, Limited, to the amended paragraph 74.In the view of the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself, the much more drastic modifications suggested by the National Federation are not desirable.