§ Dr. Littleasked the Home Secretary whether he will give compensation to the farmers in Northern Ireland who in the past have derived revenue from the sale of their grass seed, but have been ordered this year to cut a considerable portion of their hay crop before the seed is ripe, on the plea that there will be no market for the seed?
Mr. PeaceNo, Sir. In 1942 the acreage saved as grass seed in Northern Ireland was considerably in excess of the normal: and the Government undertook to purchase the whole of the surplus from the 1942 crop and the whole of the 1943 crop. It was, in these circumstances, necessary to ensure that a large surplus should not again be produced, and to direct Northern Ireland farmers to make916W a considerable cut in the production of grass seed. Even so, I am informed, the revenue derived from grass seed will be much greater than was normal before 1942.