§ 79. Sir A. FELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary if his attention has been called to the waste of food entailed in the destruction of herrings caught and landed at Lerwick, where upwards of 200 tons of fish were destroyed on several separate days; and if some arrangement can be made to enable them to be shipped or else preserved as kippers or salted herrings?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe Food Controller is aware that some herring landed at Lerwick did not find a buyer on arrival. Owing to the time occupied on the voyage, the possibility of war delays, and the competition of the heavy catches of herring now being landed on the mainland of the North-East Coast of Scotland, the shipment of fresh herring for the Shetlands is not a satisfactory course at this time of the year. The Ministry of Food have made arrangements whereby the transport of kippered herring are considerably improved. The herrings at present caught off Lerwick are hardly suitable when cured for the home markets, and the Food Controller has 2202 already informed the trade that he is prepared to give favourable consideration to applications for leave to export these pickled herrings to Allied countries provided that they are put into cure before 15th July.
§ Sir A. FELLI know the hon. Member is doing a great deal, but is he really doing everything that can be done to save this great loss of food?
§ Mr. CLYNESI think so. We have been in close communication with the authorities in all parts of the Kingdom, and if my hon. Friend can put before me suggestions, I shall be glad to have them.
§ Sir J. AINSWORTHIs it possible in some way or other to deal with this appalling waste of food, remembering that the consumer now pays five or six times more for herrings than they did a short time ago?
§ Mr. CLYNESA similar wastage was quite common in peace-time, and there is a greater difficulty in war-time, but we are doing everything we can to diminish the wastage.