§ Sir R. Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the present position as regards the supply of ploughs for use in 995W the United Kingdom; whether all agricultural engineering firms who normally produce ploughs are now doing so and have been taken off other work in view of the urgency of the position; and what are the prospects of obtaining Canadian ploughs.
Mr. HudsonThe number of ploughs now on the land has been greatly increased by the maintenance of full production at home supplemented by imports. Orders from farmers, especially for tractor-ploughs, are, however, greater than the flow of new supplies, and therefore distribution is controlled through County War Agricultural Executive Committees to ensure that new ploughs are put into the hands of those farmers whose need is greatest. The Government have arranged for an increase in the home output of tractor-ploughs both from existing and new production capacity. A substantial number of tractor-ploughs is being imported this year of which 60 per cent. will come from Canada.