§ Mr. W. Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Ministry of Food, when making payments to farmers in the capacity of agents for the Ministry of Agriculture, deducts from the payments due to farmers sums said to be due by the farmers to local agricultural executive committees; and whether, as liability for these latter payments is sometimes disputed, he will arrange for payments from the Ministry of Food to farmers to be made without deduction?
Mr. HudsonThe procedure referred to is an economical and effective method of settling debts due to the county war agricultural executive committees and I see no reason for discontinuing it. If the hon. Member will let me have particulars of any cases in which liability to a committee is disputed, I will have them investigated.