asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the necessity to increase food, he will now consider plans to get rid of restrictions on rations for poultry, based on 1939.

No. As I informed the hon. Member for Woodbridge (Mr. Hare) on 16th March, the Government have decided that the scheme for rationing animal feedingstuffs must be continued for the time being. I would remind the hon. Member, however, that the extended rationing scheme introduced in 1948 provides an alternative basis for poultry rationing not related to the number of birds kept pre-war.