§ Lieut.-Colonel Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Minister of Agriculture how many agricultural executive committees in England and Wales hold potato-spraying machines for hire by farmers; and whether any of these machines could be made available for transfer to the Department of Agriculture for Scotland if required?
Mr. HudsonPotato-spraying machines have been issued to all county war agricultural executive committees in England and Wales, who either undertake spraying work on a contract basis, or hire the machines to farmers or contractors. Whether any of these machines could be transferred to the Department of Agriculture for Scotland if required would depend on the extent to which they were needed in this country, but a small number of machines from the Government reserve have in fact been provisionally earmarked for Scotland and are immediately available.