asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which body in Scotland is to be responsible for the cattle and beef industry's affairs; and if he will give an assurance that the Scottish agriculture industry will not be controlled by any other body based in England.

Ministerial responsibility for this and other agricultural matters in Scotland is vested in me. I discharge these responsibilities through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. A statutory body, the Meat and Livestock Commission, has, however, a special responsibility for promoting the efficiency of the production, marketing and distribution of livestock and livestock products in the whole of Great Britain.