asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of the feeding-stuff rations allowed for 100 laying hens in October, 1945, July, 1947, and October, 1947, assuming that the farm qualified for the full basic rates.

The specified fraction of the basic number of poultry eligible for rations and the acreage deduction have varied according to the supplies of feedingstuffs available. The number of birds eligible for rations on any one farm would not be exactly 100 in all the three months mentioned. If the Question means what were the rations in each of the months mentioned for a holding registered as having 100 poultry in 1939, assuming that the holding was not subject to acreage deduction in any of these months, the answer is: October, 1945, and October, 1947, 1 cwt.; July, 1947, 1¼ cwt.

If I may attempt to disentangle that complicated answer, does it mean that in fact the man with 100 birds will get less feedingstuffs in October than he is getting now?

As the hon. Member will appreciate, there was a very serious reduction last year. The new increase which has just been made means that his increased ration for October of this year will be based on one-fifth of the poultry he had in the 1939 period as against one-eighth.

It is still going to be rather less than last time?

No, rather more.

Cutting through that rather unintelligible cackle, is it not a fact that the number of poultry has declined by two million since this Government came into power?

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is in a position to announce the increase in agricultural prices; or when the announcement will be made.

My right hon. Friend the Minister expects to make an announcement before the end of August.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say what farmers are to do with this year's crop of oats, wheat and barley which they have already threshed, before the price is announced?

I am afraid that has nothing whatever to do with the Question which I answered.

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind the importance of getting his announcement out early before the end of August, to enable the necessary grassland to be sown for the change-over in production?

Yes, most certainly As the hon. Member will appreciate, there is a meeting pending on 19th August

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the total of these increases is going to equal the total additional cost to the industry, or will this be like last year and only go part of the way?

I think the hon. Gentleman had better await the announcement.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that some of the best farmers in the country have stated to me personally in my own Division that they are quite able to pay the increased wages without any increase on present prices?

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in order to increase agricultural production at home, he will issue guidance to his committees that applications to be permitted to remain as civilian farmworkers on holdings in this country from German prisoners of war due for repatriation, shall receive favourable consideration.

The instructions already issued by my Department provide for favourable consideration to be given to applications from billeted German prisoners of war to remain as civilian farm workers in cases where the conditions of the scheme are complied with, and I am not aware that committees are in need of further guidance.

Is it not absolute folly to refuse applications for work on farms at present when we are short of dollars and short of food?

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that similar applications made by Italian prisoners of war were not considered until after those men had been repatriated, and would he prevent the same mistake from being made in respect of the Germans.

The existing provisions already allow for that. Wherever a German prisoner of war is billeted, it is open to the farmer to make application for him to be allowed to remain as a civilian.