Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1947.
Mr Thomas Skeffington-Lodge
, Bedford
12:00,
14 July 1947
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that holiday campers in Bedfordshire recently found a number of Colorado beetle larvae on some self-sown potatoes in a cabbage field at Cotton End; and whether, in view of the importance of this area for potato growing, he will make a statement as to the action taken by his Department to deal with the pest and prevent its spreading in this predominantly horticultural district.
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
Yes, Sir. A small number of Colorado beetle grubs was found on two potato plants in a cabbage field. The remainder of the field and neighbouring potato fields have been thoroughly searched without any further discovery. The grubs and the plants on which they were found have been destroyed and the surrounding soil injected. These measures should result in the extermination of the colony, but the district will be kept under close observation.
Sir Godfrey Nicholson
, Farnham
Does the right hon. Gentleman think the colony is descended from beetles that wintered in this country?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
