HC Deb 30 January 1941 vol 368 c710W
Mr. Malcolm MacMillan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many light and how many heavier tractor outfits it is intended to send to the Western Isles to assist with spring land work and the subsidised extension of cultivation; and what charges are being made for their use by crofters?

Mr. E. Brown

Two Government tractor outfits are already in the Western Isles, of a type which is considered suitable to undertake the cultivations there. While this equipment may be augmented, if necessary, the demand made so far for the services of the two tractors has been disappointing and would not justify the dispatch of additional outfits at present. Charges are fixed by the local agricultural executive committees subject to minimum rates prescribed by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland on the basis of contractors' charges.