§ Colonel Ponsonbyasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now state the progress made with the scheme for establishing county garden produce committees and village produce associations?
Mr. HudsonCounty garden produce committees have now been set up in practically all counties in England and Wales and considerable progress has been made in establishing village produce associations. The primary object of the scheme is to encourage well-planned domestic food production in rural areas so that so far as possible rural communities may be self-supporting in food-stuffs and commercial supplies are reserved for the larger centres of population. The organisation of these domestic producers into local associations is an important part of the scheme, and I am glad to say that in some counties more than 50 village produce associations have been established in localities where no comparable organisation previously existed. These results have been achieved very largely through the praiseworthy efforts of voluntary workers.