§ SIR HENRY TYLER (Great Yarmouth)asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether information is now being collected as to the total numbers of fish taken off the British Coasts, with the ports at which they are landed, in addition to the statistics published last year as to the quantity carried by railway; and, if so, from what date such information will commence, and when and for what periods it will be published?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. MUNDELLA) (Sheffield, Brightside)The Board of Trade are now collecting Returns as to 632 fish landed on the Coasts of England and Wales, and they have commenced the monthly publication of a summary of the Returns, which they propose to continue. The question of embodying this summary in the monthly Trade and Navigation Returns is also under consideration. One difficulty is in obtaining the Returns in time for publication with the usual monthly publication. In addition, there will no doubt be an annual Return at the end of the year, in which it is proposed to embody a general view of the fishery statistics of the United Kingdom, including a summary of the return of fish conveyed from ports by railway referred to by the hon. Member, the fishery statistics obtained by the Scotch and Irish Fishery Boards, and the statistics of boats and men now obtained by the Board of Trade and published in the annual Navigation Return. I hope when we have organized our Fishery Department we shall not confine ourselves to statistics, but publish an annual Report dealing with all matters relating to fisheries.
§ MR. O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)Have the Government any objection to make a similar Return with regard to Ireland?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe Irish Return was made by the Irish Fishery Board. We can only give a summary of the Irish Return.