FISH SALES (CHARGES) (Hansard, 19 January 1949)

§ Sir Basil Neven-Spence (Orkney and Shetland)
May we have an explanation of what this order seeks to do? It is a very bald statement.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Edith Summer-skill)
The House will recall that on many occasions I have stood at this Box and asked the approval of the House of a fixed charges order. Tonight I ask that the rate of charge on the principal 293 varieties of white fish landed headless should be increased from 10d. to Is. ld. a stone. The increase in the rate of charge on headless fish is related to our desire to remove the incentive which hon. Members who represent fishing constituencies will remember we offered to fishermen in order that, during the war, they should bring in fish without heads. We are now anxious to remove that incentive in order to encourage them to bring them ashore with heads. Of course, it will be realised that it is necessary to introduce a new maximum price order. That came into operation on 4th December with the new charges order. This policy of encouraging the landing of headless fish was introduced during the war in order that the valuable stowage space should be utilised for edible fish. The position has now changed, and the fisherman very often comes in with plenty of space, and, in fact, without a full catch.
It will be recalled that on many occasions I have been asked in this House to increase the amount of fish meal available for animal feedingstuffs, and we believe that when this order operates fully we shall achieve that objective. In the pre-war year, the home production of fish meal has been estimated at 70,000 tons. In 1947, the corresponding figure was 49,820 tons, and provisional figures for 1948 put the production at, approximately, 56,000 tons. Therefore, I think it will be clear to the House that this order is very necessary. The amendment in the rates charged will leave the question "to head or not to head" to the skipper, because although the lower prices do not actually discourage the heading they simply remove a small incentive.

§ Mr. Douglas Marshall (Bodmin)
I do not wish to detain the House for more than a minute or two, but in thanking the Parliamentary Secretary for the explanation she has given there are two points I want to raise. No doubt she will remember that about a year ago I raised this question of the heading of cod and I am very glad that my suggestion has now been brought into effect or that at least some incentive has been given in that direction, although I regret there has been such a delay.
There is one other point. If I may say so, I do not think the right hon. Lady has 294 been quite fair about it—I do not think she meant to be unfair, but it was unfair in the way it was put. One of the major reasons for originally landing fish without heads was certain forms of agreement with Iceland. In a great number of cases our fishermen were only too willing to land fish whole, but the Ministry of Food directed the other way for their own purposes. Personally, I am very glad that this order has been introduced tonight.