asked the Minister of Food if he will enumerate the steps that he has taken to acquire feeding-stuffs for British livestock from foreign countries, showing to which countries approaches have been made during the last 12 months, and with what successes; and what prospects there are of an improvement in the supply of feedingstuffs from abroad in the near future.

During 1947 we have been in negotiation with 16 countries, including Argentina, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, Russia and Brazil. Negotiations with a number of countries have not yet been completed, and it would be inadvisable at the present time to give further details or to express an opinion on the point raised in the last part of the Question. I am bound to point out, however, that as a result of the poor 1947 harvest supplies of feedingstuffs are disappointingly small throughout the world.

Can we take it for granted that the Government will continue to handle this whole problem with their usual inefficiency?