HC Deb 11 August 1947 vol 441 cc225-6W
Mr. G. Jeger

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the desirability of providing opportunities for those engaged in farming in this country to obtain first-hand experience of current methods of husbandry in European countries, he has considered the possibilities of introducing a scheme of exchanges to this end; and with what results.

Mr. T. Williams

Yes. Discussions have been taking place with representatives of European countries which have signified their interest in the exchange of young people engaged in agriculture and horticulture, and a scheme is being introduced that will enable such persons to be placed for employment on approved commercial farms and holdings in European countries for periods of up to a year, while providing reciprocal facilities here for the participating countries. The conditions of employment of foreign student-employees admitted to this country under the scheme will be regulated by an order of the Agricultural Wages Board and it is an essential condition that they shall be placed only on farms and holdings where they are supernumerary to the normal labour force. Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have already agreed in principle to take part in the scheme and it is hoped to extend the list. The National Farmers Union and the Horticultural Trades Association have accepted responsibility for making the actual exchanges so far as this country is concerned.

I look to this scheme to provide a valuable interchange of experience and ideas between the farming industries of the several countries. We need to recognise, however, that in face of the present exceptional difficulties and in particular the problem of finding accommodation for foreign student-employees, the numbers that can be exchanged are not likely to be very large at first.

My right hon. Friends the Minister of Labour and National Service and the Secretary of State for Scotland have been associated with me in the discussions that have taken place. While the scheme will apply for the time being primarily to England and Wales, the participation of Scottish applicants and the placing of foreign student-employees on Scottish farms is not of course excluded.