asked the hon. Member for Walthamstow, West, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, whether he will arrange for cigarettes at the rate of 10 for 1s. 3d. to be available to Members.

If supplies become available in sufficient quantity we will meet the request. At present all supplies go to the Staff Canteen, and Members could only be supplied by diverting supplies from the staff.

Is it not a little unfortunate at this moment that a Question should appear on the Order Paper suggesting that hon. Members should obtain cigarettes at a cheaper price than the general public at a time when the Chancellor of the exchequer has just raised the tobacco tax, for which hon. Members opposite voted with enthusiasm.

As a consequence of the increase in the price of cigarettes due to the tax there is, all over the country, an increased demand for cheaper cigarettes. The consequence of that is that it is not possible for the Kitchen Committee to get larger supplies than they have been getting. As a matter of fact, our supplies during the last two years have not reached anything like the demand that has been made for them.

On a point of Order. Is it in Order to make such an unwarranted imputation against the hon. Member who put the Question down, seeing that these cigarettes are available to the public at these prices.

I think it was quite obvious that the hon. Member was asking for information.

May I say further to that point of Order that, of course, there is no implication against the hon. and gallant Gentleman. No misunderstanding would have arisen if the Question had made clear to what type of cigarettes the hon. and gallant Gentleman was referring.

Everybody other than hon. Gentlemen opposite know that certain brands of cigarettes are available to the general public at a cost of 10 for 1s. 3d.