asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he intends to fix the price of seed oats and seed barley for next spring and, if so, at what figures.

It is my intention to fix, at a later date, maximum prices for seed oats and barley for sowing next spring. I am not at present in a position, however, to indicate what those prices will be.

Can the Minister say when he intends to publish these maximum prices?

I could not say. It will be well before the season anyway.

This year? Will it be before the end of the year?

Yes, or very early in the new year.

Does the Minister contemplate fixing prices?

Yes.

If so, does he contemplate fixing a standard of germination and purity, because if the incentive of open competition, to have the best and to get the best price, is taken out of the trade, then we want to be assured of at least a minimum germination and purity. Otherwise we will not know what we will be buying.

That, certainly, will have to be considered.