§ Mr. De Chairasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that his officials have been urging Norfolk farmers to lift potatoes and sugar-beet early in order to get wheat sown for next year, but that the labour available for this purpose is quite inadequate; and what steps he is taking to remedy the position.
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Mr. HudsonI am aware that unfavourable weather and an inadequate supply of labour have made it difficult to complete the early lifting of potatoes and sugar beet. Everything possible is being done to provide supplementary labour in those counties, including Norfolk, in which the problem is most serious, and many thousands of prisoners of war have been moved into those areas.