asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if the potato ration issued to the German prisoners in this country has been increased from 2 oz. to 20 oz. per diem?

Yes, Sir; the change was made on the recommendation of the medical authorities. The extra potatoes are, of course, in substitution for other articles of food, which are less easily obtainable.

Does not my hon. Friend think that this increase in the ration is abnormally great and entirely out of proportion to the rations our people are getting in Germany?

As I have pointed out, there is no real increase in the general ration; it is merely substitution for other articles of food which are not so easily obtained.

How do these rations compare with what the Food Controller advises the ordinary person to take?

I have not gone into that question.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the acreage of wheat grown in the United Kingdom for 1916–17, specifying the acreage of winter- and spring-sown wheat respectively; and the acreage of winter wheat sown in 1917 and the estimated amount to be sown in the spring of 1918?

Wheat was grown in the United Kingdom in 1916–17 on 2,106,000 acres. In Great Britain the total was 1,979,000 acres, of which 200,000 acres were returned as spring-sown. The returns for Ireland do not distinguish winter-sown from spring-sown. No trustworthy figures can yet be given of the acreage of wheat sown, or intended to be sown, this season, but there is reason to believe that satisfactory progress is being made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any decision has been arrived at to safeguard the production of sugar in the British Empire after the War; and whether British producers will receive an undertaking that Empire-grown sugar will be given a preference over sugar from Germany and Austria at the conclusion of hostilities?

I am not yet in a position to make a statement as to the policy of His Majesty's Government in regard to this matter.

Is not this a question which obviously requires a decision immediately, and is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the very great feeling that exists right through the British Empire on the subject, and that the Government have not yet stated whether or not British Empire sugar is going to have advantages over German or Austrian sugar after the War?

I am fully aware of the importance of the matter, but I cannot give an answer to-day.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is a year ago since I first asked the question?

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether, in view of the exportation of live stock from Ireland, he will consider the advisability of having a census taken of cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses; and whether he can state the Regulations made and enforced to safeguard the average numbers of live stock for breeding purposes so as to keep up the supply?

The Department of Agriculture do not consider it necessary or advisable at present to put farmers and the police to the trouble of taking a special live stock census, as suggested. Sufficient statistics are being obtained by the Department under existing arrangements to enable the changes in the numbers of live stock in Ireland to be carefully observed.

By Orders under the Maintenance of Live Stock Act, 1915, the Department have prohibited, or restricted, the slaughter or exportation of the following classes of live stock, with a view to the future requirements of the country: Young calves of either sex, young heifers up to a certain stage of development, mulch cows, in-calf cows and heifers, and breeding sows. The Orders are still in force, and the whole question is receiving careful attention.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the price of sugar candy for bee-keeping; and whether he will consider the advisability of fixing the price of such sugar so as to encourage the production of honey and prevent the decrease of this food?

I have been asked to reply. The answer to this question was printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT of Thursday, 17th instant.

Can the hon. Gentleman say why the price is so very high—more than double the price of ordinary sugar—and what there is in this sugar candy which makes it so costly?

I can only say that the answer to the question shows that the candy is sold practically without profit.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the number of race meetings advertised to take place in the coming months; that such meetings are causing misgiving in the public mind that corn rations used for race-horses may be needed for human food; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

I cannot usefully add anything to the reply which was given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food to a similar question by my right hon. Friend on the 16th of January, and to the various answers which I gave to the supplementary questions following.

Is it not the intention of the Government to reconsider this matter?

The subject has not been brought before the Cabinet in any way. I shall bring what has been said by my right hon. Friend and others to the notice of the Cabinet.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether ships homeward bound from the West Indies in the last year have sailed light; and whether there is any scarcity of sugar for export in the West Indies?

The information asked for in the first part of the question should be obtained from the Ministry of Shipping. As the bulk of the new crop is not yet available for export the quantity of sugar awaiting shipment in the West Indies is at present small.

Are we to understand that the Ministry of Food cannot get information from the Ministry of Shipping?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the passengers on board a homeward-bound steamer from East and South Africa when arriving at Plymouth were compelled to throw all supplies of sugar in their possession overboard; whether any instructions exist to enforce this order; and what action he proposes to take?

The Customs Regulations, which are framed to carry out the wishes of the Sugar Commission, require that sugar imported by passengers without licence in quantities exceeding 1 lb. is to be seized and sold for the benefit of the community at large. I hesitate to believe, on the strength of the newspaper extract with which my hon. and gallant Friend has furnished me, that passengers on any ship have thrown considerable supplies of sugar overboard. There is certainly no ground for the suggestion that-they were compelled to do so.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries into the case if I send him the name and address?

I understand inquiries have been made.

Is there any result of the inquiries?

The result is contained in the answer I have read out.

Is it the case that members of the mercantile marine who have brought in small quantities of sugar have had it taken away, and what is the object of it?

I suppose the object is to carry out the decision of the Food Controller that no one shall have more than a certain quantity of sugar.

Do we not need sugar in this country?

The answer I have given states that the sugar so seized shall be distributed over the general community.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether contracts for the supply of provisions to German prisoners of war and British conscientious objectors, and the like persons under restraint, are en-forcible, though they entail the supply of food to such prisoners and objectors at prices below ruling market or officially fixed rates to the prejudice of loyal British subjects, or whether any steps can be taken under the Defence of the Realm Act to render void any stipulation as to price contained in such contracts?

Contracts for supplies for the purposes mentioned in the question are in the same category as other contracts. In Orders relating to prices the Food Controller does not interfere with contracts where the price is less than the maximum price.

In that case would it not be possible for persons of this category to lie receiving stores—food and beef—at far lower prices than the public who are paying?

In so far as the public pay for these supplies it is clearly to their advantage that prices should be as low as possible.

On the other hand, is it not distinctly in favour of these people?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will take immediate steps to make generally known throughout the United Kingdom the fact that the Board of Trade's calculation that the cost of living has increased 105 per cent, since the War began is subject to such drastic qualifications that the figure might with equal accuracy be given as 59 per cent.; and whether the Ministry of Food intends to await the result of an examination of the figures by a Special Committee not yet appointed before correcting or explaining the true signification of figures upon which action of high financial and economic significance has in no small measure been based?

The article in the "Labour Gazette" which contains the estimate as to a rise in retail prices stated at 105 per cent. contains also the qualifying paragraph which was quoted in my answer of 16th January. Moreover, I would point out that the article in question is not headed "Cost of Living," but "Course of Retail Prices of Food," and that the paragraph in which considerations affecting changes in the cost of food expenditure are introduced is that in which the rise of 59 per cent. is referred to. It is to be regretted that so little attention has been given to this important paragraph, but I do not see what further publicity can be given.

asked upon what ascertained facts the Ministry decided to prohibit the export of butter from Ireland to Great Britain; and, particularly, if it is considered there is a shortage of butter in Ireland, what is the extent of the estimated shortage and by what means has it been estimated?

It has been necessary, in order to effect economies in transport, to arrange that Ireland should not receive supplies of foreign and colonial butter, but should satisfy her requirements from her own production. At the same time, the output of Irish home made butter, as has been ascertained by means of returns received from creameries, falls short by 30 per cent. of the normal supplies in winter months. An Order prohibiting for the present the export of butter from Ireland has, therefore, been issued by the Food Controller on the advice of the Food Control Committee for Ireland, after consultation with,the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland.

Is the hon. Gentleman mot aware that a considerable amount of butter is being sent from Ireland by parcel post, and are any steps being taken to deal with that?

The answer I have given shown that the Food Controller has prohibited the export of butter from Ireland, and I presume that the point raised by the hon. Member will be dealt with.

Will this matter be reconsidered, in view of the fact that the shortage in England is so much greater than in Ireland?

Is the hon. Member aware of the serious effect which this Order will have upon the most important butter industry in Ireland? Is he aware that many firms have had to give up their trade, and will not get it back, and is he satisfied that the Irish people can afford to pay the price of this butter?

I presume that the Ministry of Food is acting in consultation with the Irish Food Controller, and is endeavouring to see that the Irish population shall not go short of a necessary article of food simply because the English population are richer than the Irish population.

Would it not be possible to release butter from private dairies in Ireland the owners of whom and their families are in England doing war work, and have been in the habit of getting it over, neither butter nor milk being sold in Ireland from those dairies?

My answer must stand; but I will convey what the hon. Member says to the Ministry of Food.

The answer is quite right.

asked the amount of meat per head consumed in the United Kingdom for the six months ending 31st December; whether it was in excess of the recommended ration and, if so, by how much and what is the estimated amount of meat per head available from Home sources for the first six months of 1918?

The estimated consumption of meat of all kinds by the civilian population of the United Kingdom for the six months ended 31st December was 2 lbs. per head per week. This was about 8 per cent. in excess of the maximum quantity based on the voluntary ration of 2 lbs. per week for adults, with smaller quantities for children. In reply to the last part of the question it may be stated that any estimate of the meat supplies available for the first half of the Present year must be very tentative, but the information available indicates a considerable reduction On the rate of consumption in the second half of last year.

Can the Food Controller give us some idea of the amount of meat in this country—home-produced meat—for consumption during the next six months?

I have not the figures before me, but if the hon. Member will put down a question I will endeavour to obtain the information.

Will the hon. Gentleman use his influence with the newspapers to stop their panic headlines, which do much to encourage the enemy?

I am afraid I cannot influence the newspapers in this country, but I am sure that Lord Rhondda is doing all he can to get the newspapers to support him in his arduous task.