asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the necessity for increased production of food, he will now instruct war agricultural executive committees to issue permits for rations for pigs and poultry even though the applicants did not keep them in 1939.

No, Sir. I am afraid that supplies of feeding stuffs are not yet sufficient to provide rations for pigs or poultry kept on holdings that are not registered as having maintained this type of stock in 1939 or 1940.

What has keeping pigs in 1939 to do with keeping pigs in 1947? Is the Minister aware that if I kept a pig for which I have the facilities, I could get plenty of rations without depriving anyone else if only the coupons were available? When the Minister has appealed one day for increased production of pigs, why is it that the next day he does all he can to stop it?

The hon. Gentleman is once again suffering from a delusion. The Minister of Agriculture, the Government and, I believe, Members in all parts of the House, want to see our livestock increased, but we fully recognise that it can be increased only so far as breeding and feeding stuff supply permit.

Is it not time that this particular restrictive and monopolistic practice was brought to an end?

Does the right hon. Gentleman regard it as monopolistic to provide commercial producers of pigs and poultry with all they want for production having regard to their 1939 position?

Is it not monopolistic and restrictive to prevent people from coming into a business unless they were engaged in it previously?

As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, we must, in order to distribute the available supplies of feeding stuffs, first make provision for those who were commercially producing in 1939, and we can only widen the basis where there is a greater quantity of feedingstuffs available.

If the available supplies were spread more thinly, would it not mean less, not more, pig meat?

Very likely.