asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether soap manufacturers are receiving an equivalent to their pre-war consumption of fats and oils?

Sufficient raw materials were allocated to the soap trade from the beginning of the war until March last to enable them to make their pre-war quantities. From March, 1941, they were restricted to 90 per cent, of their pre-war quantities, but from 1st July the figure has been raised to 100 per cent, again.

In view of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's statement that soap makers are now receiving their full pre-war quota, could the Minister not have allocated a proportion of these supplies to fish fryers, whose premises are now closed for lack of supplies?

That is rather a different question.