§ 7. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what sums were realised during the War from the sale of fish caught by His Majesty's ships; and how such moneys have been disposed of?
§ Mr. AMERYThe gross sum of approximately £328,800 was realised by the sale of fish caught by His Majesty's vessels during the War. The first charge on this sum was the cost of fishing gear and salesmen's commission, etc., amounting together to about £77,000, which left a balance of approximately £251,800 for disposal. One moiety of the net proceeds at each base, amounting in all to £125,900 approximately, has been credited to Naval Funds as an Appropriation-in-Aid, the Admiralty having borne the ordinary running expenses of the vessels, including hire and the pay of the crews. The other moiety remained until after the Armistice at the disposal of the respective senior naval officers to be administered by them locally at their discretion to the best advantage of the naval personnel under their orders, subject only to a first charge on each local fund for the payment of a local flat rate of bonus to the officers and crews engaged in the fishing. After the Armistice, as from 1st January, 1919, the senior naval officer's local fund was limited to £500 per annum, and any balance remaining after payment of the bonus to crews and the annual grant to the senior naval officer's fund was remitted to the Admiralty, as were also any balances remaining on the closing down of the several bases. Under these arrangements, the sum of £67,400 in round figures was expended locally by the senior naval officers, and the balance of £58,500 was remitted to the Admiralty on the cessation of fishing operations. It will be appreciated that this sum of £58,500 was quite distinct from the sums referred to above as credited to public funds. Out of it grants amounting to £13,000 approximately have since been made to various naval charities and benevolent institutions working for the welfare of men of the Royal Navy and Mercantile Marine, and the balance of £45,500 has been invested and placed in the custody 1853 of the United Services Trustee pending a final decision as to its ultimate disposal.