asked the Minister of Food whether he will arrange for bread to be served at meals, without ranking a course, when potatoes are unobtainable.

Although there have been severe shortages of potatoes during the recent bad weather, the position is now improving substantially and I do not, therefore, think it necessary to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how much bread is being saved by this regulation?

No, Sir, certainly not without notice. I should think it would be difficult to get an estimate in any case.

Is not the amount negligible?

If the right hon. Gentleman thought it was necessary to allow bread to be used at meals, would he be able to do it?

It would, of course, be possible to revoke the Order and allow bread to be used at meals It would use up a certain amount of supplies and run down the stocks by that amount, and it would have to be made up in other directions.

How can the right hon. Gentleman say that the situation is improving, in view of the floods in all the potato areas, making the position much worse than it was a week ago?

A supplementary question to that effect has been answered already—not in the presence of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman. The simple answer is that the supplies coming into the markets are very much greater this week than last. The supplementary was in respect of the long-term position.