Orders of the Day — Agriculture

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 28 July 1943.

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Photo of Mr Allan Chapman Mr Allan Chapman , Rutherglen

I trust that it will meet with the approval of the House if I intervene at this stage to put the Scottish point of view on the proposals that my right hon. Friend has advanced. I am sure that English Members will agree that the Scottish point of view should be put. May I at the start assure my hon. Friend the Member for Central Aberdeen (Sir R. W. Smith) that in broad outline the proposals put forward by my right hon. Friend will apply to Scotland? There will, of course, be certain adjustments, one or two of which I will touch on, but we are naturally keen to implement the resolutions of the Hot Springs Conference in terms of our own particular agricultural problems. May I give the background as it is at present? My right hon. Friend gave some United Kingdom percentages of production which are an eloquent tribute to farmers and farm workers. One can say in all modesty that Scots' farmers and farm workers have made their full contribution to these figures. Of our total land area of 19,000,000 acres, somewhat less than one-quarter came within the definition of cultivated land, and yet we have managed to achieve a considerable increase in production. I am forced to agree with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture that we, too, have almost reached our limit of tillage, for in Scotland the percentage of tillage to total crops and grass, which was 32.5 in 1939, is to-day 48 per cent. The increase which we anticipate for next year will bring the figure to just under 50 per cent., if performance links up with forecast.