asked the Minister of Food what foods and feedingstuffs are now allocated by the International Emergency Food Council; what food and feedingstuffs are now the subject of recommendations by that body; and what allocations and recommendations have been published during the last twelve months.

The I.E.F.C. makes recommendations to Governments regarding the allocation of bread grains, rice, dried peas and beans, cocoa beans, oils and fats, meat, oil cakes, and molasses. It has made recommendations regarding sugar up to the end of 1947. It is the Governments of the exporting countries which allocate the supplies they have available. Information has been published on behalf of the I.E.F.C. from time to time during 1947 as to recommendations about rice, peas and beans, cocoa beans, sugar, molasses, meat, and oils and fats.

Could the hon. Lady say where this information is available to hon. Members; also can she say whether the I.E.F.C. makes recommendations regarding supplies from the Argentine?

The I.E.F.C. relays this information. If the Press do not think that it is very interesting, it may be difficult to find.

May I have an answer to the second part of my question—whether the Argentine accepts recommendations from the I.E.F.C.?

No, Sir.

Is the Argentine a member of this Council?

I should amplify my answer. Hon. Gentlemen must remember that the I.E.F.C. can only make recommendations. The exporting countries make the allocations. If the exporting country does not agree with the recommendation, it will not make the allocation.

Would the hon. Lady place in the Library a note of the particulars of allocations and recommendations, because it is not satisfactory for hon. Members of this House to have to depend on scraps in the Press.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman must realise that we may have the recommendations but we cannot possibly have in our possession details of the allocations to foreign countries.

Could we be given the details which the Ministry have got?

Would the hon. Lady consider publishing, in the space reserved for "Food Facts" in the Press, the allocations made by the I.E.F.C.?

I will consider it, but I do not think that the general public are interested.