asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking, to increase the supply of fishmeal for feeding to pigs and poultry; and the prospective supplies for 1948 compared with 1938.

Our supplies of fishmeal, which are mainly home produced, depend largely on the size of the fishing catch. During the war they fell to one-third of our prewar quantities. For 1948 it is estimated that we shall have three-quarters of the supplies available in 1938. We shall buy all we can obtain from foreign supplies, the main source being Iceland.

We all agree that nature has something to do with this; but is the Minister of Food making proper provision for surplus fish, such as herring, which are not required immediately for human consumption, to be taken up and made into these valuable foodstuffs for pigs and poultry?

We are prepared to take any herring from the fishermen at 30s. a cran.