asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on potato supplies.

The provisional estimate of yield from the 1958 United Kingdom crop is 6·8 tons per acre, compared with 7 tons per acre in 1957. Imported potatoes continue to provide a substantial addition to home produced supplies. Rather more than 200,000 tons of main crop potatoes have so far arrived this season, compared with arrivals of about 40,000 tons by the same date last season.

The right hon. Gentleman is aware that the retail price of potatoes is extremely high, higher even than last year. Can he assure the House that supplies will be brought in later this year to prevent a further increase in price? Can he tell us whether the supplies promised from Poland will in fact be received?

My information is that sufficient potatoes are available for export in Continental countries to provide the quantities which we need. I have had no advice to the contrary.