asked the Minister of Food the arrangement now operative between the Instituto Argentino de promocion del Intercambia and His Majesty's Government for the purchase of surplus Argentine products; and the provision which has been made to safeguard the British Exchequer in the fixing of prices of commodities purchased by the agents of his Department.

The Argentine Institute for the Promotion of Interchange has recently been set up by the Argentine Government to control export sales of almost all commodities. My Department purchases from it at the best prices that can be negotiated. These negotiations are conducted by my trade representatives, who have wide commercial experience in the commodities for which they are responsible.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is the policy of this Institute to make a. profit for the Argentine Government and people out of the surpluses sold to us by our bulk purchases, and what profit the Argentine have made out of us following recent events?

I cannot be responsible for this Institute's policy, but I think there is some evidence that its policy is to make a profit.

Is not the real reason for setting up this bulk export organisation because we started bulk purchases?

No, Sir, these have been going on for some years.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of malting barley-have been bought by his Department from the Argentine; and how the cost of these purchases compares with the present prices of home-grown malting barley.

None, Sir.

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that malting prices are not being paid for any imports of Argentine millable barley? If that has been done a great injustice has been committed against farmers in this country, who are unable to dispose of their malting barley at anything like minimum prices.

Yes, Sir, I can give that assurance.

asked the Minister of Food what price per quarter, delivered in Britain, is being paid for the 2,333,000 quarters of wheat bulk-purchased from Argentina.

We do not publish the terms of these contracts, except by special arrangement with the other party.

Why this hole-and-corner business? In view of the fact that Signor Miranda acknowledged that in a recent deal the Argentine Government made a commission of £49 million, will the right hon. Gentleman say what profit the Argentine Government were making out of this deal at the expense of the British taxpayer?

No, Sir. I repeat that I cannot possibly publish the terms of these negotiations or transactions without the consent of the other party.

What guarantee have the people of this country they are not being rooked?

These contracts are made by extremely experienced negotiators. In many cases the complaint of Members opposite has been that we pay too low prices, as in the case of Denmark. In fact, we pay the best price, being the lowest, that we can pay in the circumstances.

What is to be gained by this secrecy?