§ 169. Mr. Wilkesasked the Minister of Food what restrictions on wheat and grain 411W acreage within the British Commonwealth are enforced today by the Canadian, Queensland, and Australian Governments; what representations have been made by the British Government regarding a relaxation of these restrictions; at what dates; and with what result.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe Canadian Government does not enforce restrictions on the acreages planted with cereals. An annual Conference of Provincial Representatives held under the auspices of the Dominion Government each December makes recommendations about target acreages, but these recommendations are not binding on producers. The Canadian Wheat Board has powers to regulate the rate at which growers market their crop, in order to regulate the flow of wheat during the early months of the marketing year. In Australia neither the Dominion Government nor the Queensland Government restricts the planting of wheat. There is a system of licensing but the total area licensed commonly exceeds the Government's target acreage. Since the 1943–46 season efforts have been made to increase wheat production in Australia, but they were hampered by adverse weather conditions until the present season. There have, therefore, been no grounds on which representations on the part of the United Kingdom Government would be useful.