§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he is aware that of the 11,548 registered producers entitled to vote at the initial poll of the Tomato and Cucumber Board only 5,433 producers did so; and, in view of the fact that this number was less than 50 per cent. of the registered producers, and consequently that the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board was irregularly constituted, if he will now take steps to suspend the Board's operations pending an inquiry;
(2) what is the reason for the discrepancy between his announced figures of 8,582 registered producers entitled to vote at the initial poll of the Tomato and Cucumber Board and of 5,433 actually doing so, and the figure of 11,548 producers entitled to vote given in Table 21, page 140, of the Report on Agricultural Marketing Schemes 1938 to 1955.
Mr. AmoryAll producers of tomatoes and cucumbers are entitled to register with the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board, but only those not exempted from the Scheme were entitled to vote at the initial poll. The figure of 11,548 is not that of the number of registered producers entitled to vote at the initial poll, but is the total number of producers registered with the Board on 31st December, 1950, including producers exempted from the Scheme who nevertheless registered. As I said in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Arundel and Shoreham (Captain Kerby) 213W on 21st November last year, the Board has informed me that the number of registered producers entitled to vote on the initial poll was 8,582. There is, therefore, no question of irregular constitution of the Board.