§ 7. Mr. JOHNSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Food Council has any evidence giving the weight of edible fish disposed of in the year 1926 to fish meal and manure factories from the following ports: Aberdeen, Hull, Fleetwood, and Grimsby?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes, Sir. The figures are: At Aberdeen, 2,556 cwts.; at Hull, 21,807 cwts.; at Fleetwood, 14,777 ewts.; and at Grimsby, 5,187 cwts. These figures represent the following percentages of the total quantity of the fish landed during 1926 at the ports in question: 0.1 per cent., 0.9 per cent., 1.5 per cent., and 0.15 per cent.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONIs it not the case that the fish destroyed is destroyed during gluts; and does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the Food Council should take some steps to see that edible fish ought not to be destroyed at a time when people are starving for want of food?
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is no fish manure works that has really destroyed edible fish? They destroy only immature fish and other fish not suitable for the market, which would not pay for the carriage expended upon it is sent to the market?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe Food Council are considering this matter. I understand that the fish which finds its way to the manure factories rather than to the consumer is fish which, for the 1435 most part, by the time it reached the consumer, would be quite unfit for consumption.