asked the Minister of Food how much annually is collected under insurance at 1s. per pig slaughtered; what are the claims against this insurance fund; what annual surplus emerges; and how it is disposed.

This scheme is not administered centrally. Each bacon curer retains the payments for the pigs he kills, and in return, has to pay producers in full for all insured pigs, without deducting the value of condemned offals or parts of carcases and pigs lost in transit. A large scale investigation of condemnations and losses for the month of January, 1950, showed that, on average, the sum of 1s. per pig was just enough to meet the charges borne by curers and that there is no surplus.

asked the Minister of Food when insurance on pigs delivered to his Department for bacon production was raised from 6d. to 1s. per pig; and why was this increase necessary.

The increase took place on 27th March, 1950, after it had been established that the rate of 6d. was no longer covering the losses incurred.