§ Flight-Lieutenant Boothbyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps are being taken to relieve farmers in the North of Scotland of surplus stocks of oats, which are now rapidly deteriorating owing to lack of proper storage accommodation?
§ Mr. MabaneThe Ministry of Food has been for some time purchasing oats from the North of Scotland through the trade in order to relieve the local surplus which has existed there. In addition, facilities have been freely given in recent months to merchants in the area for the export of surplus oats to England under licence. My Department, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture for Scotland and the Board of Trade, is endeavouring to arrange for further storage to be made available in Scotland for the purpose of increasing the Government's reserve of oats by further purchases, particularly from the area in question.