asked the Minister of Food how many people were eligible to receive agricultural meat pies in the month of October; and how many pies were distributed in that month.

Anyone living in a rural area may have the benefit of any available rural pie scheme. The latest figures I have show that 1,551,500 packed meals containing pies or other meat products were served during February and March, 1947, by 3,827 pie centres covering 6,011 villages and adjoining areas.

Is the right hon. Gentleman unable to say how many people are entitled to these pies? Because, so far as I can gather from his answer, it worked out at approximately one pie per day per village—not a very big ration.

Anyone in the rural areas is entitled to buy a pie.

May we know the difference between agricultural meat pies and ordinary meat pies? Are the first kind for vegetarians only?

It is a question of the area and not the pie.