asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether horseflesh is under authorisation on sale for British subjects and is supplied to Belgian refugee associations; whether proposals have been advanced to furnish similar supplies to German prisoners of war; whether the War Office offered no objection to the proposals; whether these proposals have been definitely rejected by General Dekfield, Director of Supplies, Prisoners of War; and whether he will take steps to see that German prisoners of war receive neither in quantity nor quality preferential treatment over our native population?

This question, which is not without difficulty, is being considered.

Has not the Prime Minister said that horseflesh was the normal consumption of the German people, and does not the hon. Gentleman think that, perhaps, the German prisoners would be glad to have it?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the War Office have received a claim from Sir Claude de Crespigny, baronet, of Champion Lodge, Maldon, Essex, for reimbursement of loss by the destruction of pheasants two years ago on account of military occupation; whether any steps have been taken to assess this claim upon a fair basis between the State and the breeder; and if he can fix any date for the conclusion of the assessment and the payment of the amount which may be found due?

The claim of Sir Claude de Crespigny for compensation for loss of game through disturbance by military operations, has been submitted to the Defence of the Realm Losses Commission, with whom the decision rests.

Will the decision be taken shortly?

I am not responsible for the Commission in question, but I am sure that there will be no avoidable delay.

This matter has been before us for two years, and will the right hon. Gentleman represent the fact of the great delay which has already taken place?

I should think that the publicity which will be occasioned by the hon. Gentleman's question will bring it to the notice of the Commission.

Before compensating these people for disturbance of a number of pheasants, will the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the tens of thousands of people whose businesses have been smashed, so that they may be looked after by the War Office?

It is not a question of the disturbance of pheasants, but rather the destruction of useful food.

This is not a matter for the War Office. It has been referred to a wholly impartial tribunal, and I am sure it will receive wholly impartial treatment.

Does not the War Losses Commission deal with losses of profit in trade, and is pheasant-rearing a trade yielding profit?

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Board has endeavoured to obtain good pedigree beet seed from the United States of America, and if any steps have been taken to secure the assistance of Denmark or France in this connection?

Efforts are being made to secure a certain quantity of high-class beet seed required for the projected sugar beet enterprise in Notts from the United States and various countries in Europe. It is not yet certain whether delivery will be secured; mean time, however, a sufficient quantity of seed at present available in this country will be sown in order to secure stocks for the future.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has considered that sugar syrup for making jam can easily be procured from beetroot without any elaborate factories or machinery; and whether anything has been done to encourage the growth of sugar beet for this purpose?

I am advised that it is doubtful whether a satisfactory syrup for jam making can be procured from beet by ordinary domestic processes, and, in fuller reply to this point and to the remainder of the question, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth on the 6th February last.

Is it not the fact that although this process is not an easy one, it has been proved by private individuals that a great deal of advantage can be obtaned by the ordinary individual who grows it by the use of it as sweets and other forms of food?

The question is a chemical one, and I am sorry to say I do not feel very competent to give an opinion on it, but apparently in the process there is a certain quantity of salt, which is said to be deleterious to consumption.

Is the right Gentleman not aware that the root itself can be used as fruit might be used, and would be a very valuable help to the people?

I think that is so.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that eighty allotment holders, each having from 20 to 40 poles of land in the town of Bedford, are to have their allotments taken from them, and that the land is to be used as sites for factories; whether he is aware that this land is in a high state of cultivation after being worked and tilled by hand labour for twenty-five years, and that there is other land equally suitable for factory sites but entirely unsuitable for food production; and whether, in view of the food situation in the country, he will cause immediate inquiry to be made?

I am obliged to the hon. Member for drawing my attention to this matter, and I have given instructions that immediate inquiries are to be made and will inform the hon. Member of the result. The Board had received no previous intimation on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is aware that many farmers are experiencing difficulty not only in completing the ploughing, but also in preparing the broken-up land for sowing; and, in view of the short time now available, will he take steps to ensure that all possible assistance shall be given with the greatest possible promptitude?

The reports received by the Department indicate that, owing to the favourable weather, all farm work is exceptionally well forward, but the hon. Member can rest assured that all possible assistance will be promptly given to those farmers who require help.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the reapers and binders owned by the Government will be distributed about the country and hired to farmers who need them in order to harvest their grain crops; and, if so, what the terms for hiring will be?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Reapers and binders will be distributed to the county agricultural executive committees, who will arrange for their working by the Department's horses and tractors. The charge for hiring will cover the cost of service, and will be in accordance with the rates to be determined by agricultural executive committees with the Board's approval.

May I ask whether it is, therefore, unnecessary for farmers who have broken up land, and who have not got reapers and binders, to pay the present exorbitant rates for reapers and binders, feeling assured that they will be able to obtain reapers and binders from the agricultural committees?

It is rather dangerous for farmers to assume that for this reason, that if it is a harvest which requires to be promptly gathered in, those farmers would have to wait their turn in a certain rotation, and it would be to their advantage to own their own binders and reapers.

asked the Prime Minister whether any, and what, action has been taken by the Government to obviate the disadvantages of the present system of dual control by the Ministry of Food and the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries of production of home-grown food and to stimulate and encourage such production?

It is impossible for me to say more than that the whole subject, the difficulties of which I am sure my hon. Friend realises, is under the consideration of the Government.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when that consideration will be completed?

No, Sir; I said I could say nothing more than that we are considering it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that no less than sixty copies of the table of equivalent weights of meat issued by his Department are posted up within a distance of but a little more than half a mile along the Chelsea Embankment, and that in many cases two, or even four, copies of the notice are posted side by side; if he will say who is responsible for this waste of paper; and whether he will take steps to prevent a repetition of it?

The posting was done under the orders of the Chelsea Local Food Control Committee. In advertising by poster, frequent repetition of posters in close proximity is considered a more effective means of securing attention than a wide diffusion of single posters. The matter does not appear to require further action.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the Controller proposes to suspend, so far as circumstances allow, all fishing restrictions round the United Kingdom, to obtain the concurrence of the Admiralty for fishing in areas now closed, and to allow the return to port of as many vessels as can be spared, in order to increase the supply of fish and to reduce the cost of living in the present crisis?

The Food Controller is in constant communication with the Fishery Boards and the Admiralty with the object of increasing the supply of fish food by every possible method including those indicated by the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the Mr. Clark, of 43, Bute Street, Cardiff, recently appointed secretary to the South Wales and South-West of England Potato Control Committee, is the same gentleman who was prosecuted on behalf of the Ministry of Food in December last and fined £200 and 50 guineas cost?

This appointment was made by the South Wales Potato Advisory Committee on their own initiative, and the Ministry of Food were not consulted in the matter. I am advised that the offence referred to was of a somewhat technical description, and that it is inexpedient in this instance to interfere with the discretion of the Advisory Committee.

May I ask my hon. Friend if that offence was not considered by the Food Controller to be so serious that he had to send a solicitor down from London to prosecute, and if he did not obtain a verdict, and that then the law-breaker is given an appointment?

I am not aware of that, but I will represent the information in the supplementary question to the Food Controller.