§ 55. Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the recent potato shortage and of the delay caused by the weather in the sowing of corn, he will take steps, including the issue of directives, to secure a substantially increased acreage of potatoes in the 1947 harvest.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsI would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 6th March and which set out the target acreage for crops of this year's harvest. County acreage targets for potatoes were notified to county war agricultural executive committees in England and Wales in the summer of last year, and the committees have taken and will continue to take all possible steps to secure them, including where necessary, the issue of directions. Having regard to all the circumstances I do not consider that these targets require modification.