asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, for the latest year available, the average cost of store cattle produced by farmers in the East of Scotland; what was the average realisation price; and what profit or loss accrued to the feeder.

Figures of costs of store cattle in the East of Scotland, their eventual realisation prices and the resulting profit or loss vary enormously with the age of the animals, the system of feeding and management and other factors. I refer my hon. Friend to the recent report, "Costs of Cattle Production 1962–63", from the Edinburgh School of Agriculture, which shows the results for a number of different systems of feeding on a sample of farms in the South-East of Scotland.

Having regard to the public interest in meat prices, will my hon. Friend agree that these figures show that some feeders make a very small profit and others make a loss, the high price of meat being due to world shortage and, for instance, the doubling of the amount bought by the Common Market in the last two years, not to any increased profit accruing to Scottish fanners?

I notice from the report that there were 109 enterprises examined, and it is certainly true that the profits shown were disappointing. I agree with my hon. Friend that it is, initially, a world shortage of meat, particularly of beef, which is causing the high prices in the market at present.

Mr. Hamilton:

Can the hon. Gentleman say what the profits of the wholesalers and distributors are, because there is a vast body of opinion in the country which feels that this is where the housewife's purse is being filched, rather than at the farmer's end?

I could not give that figure without notice, but, if the hon. Gentleman is anxious to have it, I commend to him the Verdon Smith Report which, I believe, went into the matter in great detail.