§ 26. Mr. Ammonasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the chaos in the fish trade consequent upon the transfer of the wholesale supply market, which has caused the waste of hundreds of pounds of good fish; and whether any action has now been taken to improve conditions?
§ 51. Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is now able to announce his revised plans for fish distribution; and whether it is his intention to introduce a scheme of allotment of supplies to distributors, coupled with price control, as was done successfully during the last war?
§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. W. S. Morrison)I have been asked to reply. After full inquiry I have come to the conclusion that the present scheme for the distribution of fish has failed to achieve the objects for which it was designed, and that there is no prospect of the arrangements being sufficiently improved to make the scheme satisfactory in the course of the next week or two. In these circumstances, I have decided to wind the present scheme up as from Friday evening, 22nd instant. This will mean that fish auctions will be resumed at the ports as from Saturday, 23rd, and Billingsgate Market will be reopened on Monday, 25th. Coastal merchants and inland wholesalers will return to their normal methods of trading in their usual markets. One measure of control must, however, be retained. I propose, therefore, to make, as soon as possible, an Order under the Defence Regulations fixing provisional maximum prices for catchers, wholesalers and retailers.
I have also decided to set up a committee consisting of representatives of the trawler owners, skippers and crews and all branches of the distributive trades to advise me as to what further methods of control are necessary and practical.
§ Mr. AmmonDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that his answer emphasises the value of Parliamentary criticism in these matters?
§ Mr. MorrisonI am the last person to deny the value of properly directed Parliamentary criticism, but I am bound to say that since last week I have received from a great number of sources complaints about the operation of this fish scheme, and it was only necessary for me to hear both sides of the question to come to a decision.
§ Sir Cooper RawsonCannot my right hon. Friend wind up the scheme before Friday, because some of the fishermen and trawler owners are being wound up already? At Brighton this morning we had no fish at all.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartWill the right hon. Gentleman, in announcing the abandonment of the present scheme, give us the assurance that there will be no similar scheme hatched in the future; and, secondly —
§ Mr. Speaker rose —
§ Mr. MorrisonWith regard to the time limit for the reopening of normal channels of trade, that is necessary in order to enable the trade to readjust itself and to make arrangements to carry on. As regards the difficulties of obtaining supplies of fish, I should like the House to realise that owing to the war conditions in which we are operating there is a restricted supply, which we are doing our best to find some means of supplementing.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartOn a point of Order. I respectfully submit that the statement just made by the Minister and its implications are of very great importance to Members and that many of us have —
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is not a point of Order.
Mr. StewartThe point of Order which I was respectfully submitting to you was that it would be of great importance if we were permitted to ask one or two further practical questions of the Minister.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member will see that there are more than too questions on the Order Paper.