§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Minister of Agriculture the highest and lowest rents charged for agricultural land in England and Wales, also the average; and the highest and lowest wages paid to agricultural labourers, giving the districts in each case?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithWith regard to the first part of the Question, rents for agricultural land vary from a few shillings to several pounds per acre. Complete statistics are not available, but a study by my Department in 1937 of agricultural rents on a considerable area of land throughout the country showed an average contract rent of 21s. per acre. As802W duction in the United Kingdom for those two years?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithThe gazette average price of home-produced wheat, the average quota payment per sack of flour of 280 lb. and the acreage and estimated production of wheat in the United Kingdom in the two years 1937–38 and 1938–39 are shown in the following table:
regards the latter part of the Question, the present minimum weekly rates of wages fixed for ordinary adult male workers by agricultural wages committees under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924, range between 43s. in Lancashire (other than in the southern part of the county) and 34s. in the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, Merioneth and Montgomery. No comprehensive statistics of actual weekly earnings are available, but in many cases, especially those of workers such as cowmen, carters, etc., they frequently exceed the statutory minima by some few shillings.