asked the Minister of Food if he will give an assurance that the price paid by His Majesty's Government to New Zealand for the shipment of meat recently diverted here from the United States of America was not less than the price New Zealand was due to receive from the United States' purchasers.

As indicated in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Ripon (Colonel Stoddart-Scott) on 21st February, we shall pay for this meat according to the price schedules in our long-term contract with New Zealand. I cannot say at what price New Zealand would have sold the meat on the American market.