§ Mr. Thorneasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give any information in connection with the revised list of prices payable to growers of sugar-beet, and in what way it will affect the workmen?
§ Mr. T. WilliamsA supplementary payment will be made to sugar-beet growers in England and Wales of 2s. 6d. a ton in respect of all beet of the 1940 crop delivered under contract to the sugar-beet factories during the past winter. This payment, and an interim payment of 3s. 9.d. a ton made last June, implement the assurance given by the Government when the terms of the contract were originally settled that the prices would be reviewed if the actual costs of production proved to be higher than those allowed for in the contract. The payments are intended to cover, among other items, the additional labour costs incurred by growers as a result of the wage increases granted last summer.