§ 24. Mr. BOOTHBYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is in a position to state the policy of His Majesty's Government with regard to the herring fishing industry?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI regret I cannot at present add anything to the replies I gave last Tuesday to the hon. and gallant 1754 Member for Banffshire (Sir M. Wood), of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. I fully recognise the importance of an early decision.
§ Mr. BOOTHBYDoes my right hon. Friend recognise the necessity of passing any legislation which the Government may have in view before the opening of the fishing season next year, and will he give an undertaking to that effect?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI can assure my hon. Friend that we are well aware of the situation that will arise next year in this industry.
§ 34. Mr. HALESasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, having regard to the desperate condition of the herring industry and allied trades, he will consider inaugurating a publicity campaign drawing the attention of the public to the cheapness and health-giving properties of the herring, in order to save a declining British industry from extinction?
§ Mr. LOFTUSBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers, may I ask him whether it is not a fact that since the conclusion of the Anglo-German payments agreement the prices for herring have been quite satisfactory? Is it not also a fact that the only objection to this satisfactory state of affairs—
§ Mr. SPEAKEROrder. The hon. Member is making a speech.
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am much obliged to my hon. Friend for drawing attention in this way to the cheapness and health-giving properties of the herring. The Ministry has published a leaflet, a copy of which I am sending my hon. Friend, drawing attention to the value of the herring as food and giving recipes for cooking it. This leaflet had considerable publicity in the Press, and the British Broadcasting Corporation have also been very helpful in bringing the subject of herring to the public mind. Officers of the Ministry would always be very ready to give to those interested any information at their disposal which might be made use of in popularising the consumption of this food.
§ Mr. HALESCan the right hon. Gentleman see his way to making a personal appeal to the public to introduce the herring into the household menu on one day in the week? So that he may 1755 have personal experience of a cooked herring, will he accept from me this herring now in my hand?
§ Mr. H. STEWARTDoes the right hon. Gentleman not consider that perhaps the better way of relieving the distress in the industry would be for the Government to introduce measures for the complete reorganisation of the herring trade?
§ Sir PERCY HURDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the use of the herring would be much greater if he could devise means to breed the herring without bones?