§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Agriculture how many registered producers were on the register of the Potato Marketing Scheme, when the scheme was suspended in 1939; and what acreage of potatoes was grown by them in that year.
§ Mr. Nugent63,599 producers, having a potato acreage of 519,583, were on the register of the Potato Marketing Board at 31st August, 1939. These are the last recorded totals before the scheme was formally suspended on 20th December 1939.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Agriculture the terms under which the Potato Marketing Board was suspended in 1939; and under what authority the Board has continued to exist in the absence of the stipulated annual elections.
§ Mr. NugentThe Potato Marketing Scheme was amended by the Potato Marketing Scheme, 1933 (Modification and Suspension) Order, 1939 (S.R. & O. 1939 No. 1876). This Order suspended the Board's main powers and provided,inter alia, that, as long as the Order remained in force, Board members should continue to hold office subject to the filling of casual vacancies by co-option, no elections by registered producers of members of the Board should be held, the register of producers should remain unaltered, and that the Board might make arrangements for the preservation of its assets, hire of its premises and equipment, and loan of its staff.
The Potato Marketing Scheme (Modification and Suspension) (Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. 1954 No. 489) restored the Board's powers sufficiently to allow it to bring up to date and maintain the register of producers, to prepare a substitutional scheme and publish it to registered producers and to take, if required, a poll of registered producers on the question of its submission to the appropriate Ministers.