asked the Minister of Food what steps he proposes to take to avoid paying the full contract price for snoek found unfit for the retail trade, in view of the fact that the contract was on c.i.f. terms and payment in full was made against shippers' documents.

A claim in respect of this snoek is now under discussion with the suppliers.

Is the hon. Lady aware that the Minister told us, a week ago today, that he did not intend to pay this contract price in full, although it was on c.i.f. terms?

We are now making a claim, and if there is any disagreement it can go to arbitration.

Is the hon. Lady aware that she herself wrote to me on 22nd March saying that there was no intention of doing that, that the contract had been paid in full, and that the defective snoek was being sold to the canned goods trade for meat paste?

Despite the fact that it has been paid for, we are not precluded from making a claim, and we have now decided to do so.

Is it not time that the Ministry made businesslike contracts and arranged for inspection either at the point of shipment or the point of reception, and not three months afterwards?

I think the hon. Gentleman knows that we are doing that.