asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many representatives of wholesalers, auctioneers, retailers and other middlemen in Scotland and England, respectively, are employed on the staff of the Ministry of Food; and whether producers of food in either country are also represented?

No one is employed on the staff of the Ministry of Food as a representative of any of the classes indicated, but directing staff in the commodity controls was drawn from trade circles, and there are also advisory bodies of a representative character. For information as to the previous business interests of certain senior officers in commodity controls, I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given on 1st and 14th November to questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Kidderminster (Sir J. Wardlaw-Milne) and The Wrekin (Colonel Baldwin-Webb). With regard to the last part of my hon. Friend's question, I would explain that my Department is not responsible for agricultural production.

Mr. Stewart:

As my right hon. Friend admits that various interests in the trade are represented on his staff, will he not agree that someone representing the producers should also, in the interests of the country, be there?

The interests of the producers are represented by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Secretary of State for Scotland, with whose Departments mine works in close collaboration.