asked the Minister of Food if he will state in convenient categories of food the profit and loss account of all his dealings in food including overhead costs since July, 1945.

The Trading Accounts of my Ministry for the year to 31st March, 1947, will be published shortly. They will include comparative figures for the year to 31st March, 1946, and should provide the hon. Member with the information he wants in very considerable detail.

Will the figures show that the Minister's Department works at a profit or a loss?

Of course, the figures will show, as I explained in the statement on my Estimates, that it works at a loss, roughly by the amount of the food subsidies.