Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now prepared to give a guaranteed price of £ 4 a ton from 1st August, 1939, on surplus potatoes and introduce legislation to abolish all restrictions and payments on increased acreage?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Doncaster (Mr. J. Morgan) and my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Howdenshire (Major Carver) on 30th March, of which I am sending him a copy.
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Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture(1) whether he will consider erecting distillation plants to provide alcohol as a power spirit from potatoes produced in this country surplus to requirements;
(2) whether he will consider introducing a scheme for the utilisation of potatoes for manufacturing into feeding-stuffs for pigs, and give financial assistance to factories erected for this purpose;
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithThe problem of finding additional outlets for home-grown potatoes is essentially one for consideration by the Potato Marketing Board. In this connection I would mention that the board have submitted to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and me various amendments to the Potato Marketing Scheme, including some designed to give the board greater power in relation to the manufacture of potatoes into various products, and that these amendments, together with the report of the Commissioner who conducted the public inquiry into objections thereto, are now under consideration.