§ Mr. Welshasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the situation confronting potato growers in Scotland who are currently facing financial loss and redundancies because of the difficulty in obtaining adequate transport facilities.
§ Mr. William RossI understand that the demand for rail transport for potatoes in some areas is greatly in excess of that experienced in recent years. The trade is in touch with British Railways, which are doing their utmost to provide additional rolling stock to cope with the increased demand. The potato crop in Scotland in 1974 is estimated to have broken previous records. The harvest was generally favourable, and offers of potatoes have met a steady demand at prices somewhat higher than in recent years.