§ Mr. Ensorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the British Egg Marketing Board is using large sums of money due to egg producers to offset the Board's overdraft, thereby giving a false picture of the Board's financial position; if he will take immediate steps to stop the British Egg Marketing Board making financial arrangements which prevent egg producers from being properly remunerated; and if he will refer this complaint to the investigating committee.
§ Mr. PeartI assume my hon. Friend is referring to the Board's arrangements for paying producers under the contracts scheme. These arrangements are a matter for the Board, and Ministers cannot intervene in the Board's administrative arrangements save in the special circumstances provided for in the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1958. I have not received any formal complaint from producers on the lines of that made by my hon. Friend, which Ministers can properly consider referring to the Committee of Investigation.