§ MR. BOLAND (Kerry, S.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether, seeing that there has now been published the evidence taken at various public meetings in Ireland, held to inquire into the adoption of a brand for Irish-cured fish, he will state when the official Report on the subject will be issued; whether he is aware that the estimated value of herrings presented in Scotland for the Crown brand last year amounted to £493,622, being an increase of £14,517 on that of 1905, although the actual number of barrels branded was considerably less; whether his attention has been called to the Report of the inspector sent to Stettin, Libau, and other continental ports, and in particular to his statement, at page 298 of the Report, that more Crown-branded herrings had been sent to Russia, because the brand was considered as affording a better guarantee than could be obtained in the case of unbranded herrings; and whether these facts will be taken into account in drawing up the Report on the demand put forward for a brand for Irish-cured fish.
§ THE ATTORNEY - GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHERRY, Liverpool, Exchange)My hon. friend has asked me 1413 to answer this Question for him. The Report referred to is in the hands of the printer, and will, it is hoped, be ready for issue in a week or ten days. The figures given in the Question are those published in the last Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, and are, I believe, correct. It is also stated in the same Report that the proportion of barrels which received the highest brand as compared with those of the lower grades was greater in 1906 than in the previous year, and partly in consequence of this the total money value was greater, although the actual number of barrels branded was less. The Department have considered the interesting Report of the Assistant Inspector of the Scottish Fishery Board referred to, and in the preparation of their inspector's Report on the question of a brand for fish in Ireland account has been taken of the facts that the demand for the Crown brand in Scotland is declining, and that Irish-cured herrings without a Government brand obtained nearly double the price of the highest grade of Scottish Crown - branded herrings in the markets of Germany and of Russia.