§ 6. Mr. William Shepherdasked the Minister of Food what is the percentage of maximum control price realised by the sale of white fish landed at British ports in the month of June.
§ Mr. StracheyThe information for which the hon. Member asks will take some time to prepare, and I will write to him as soon as possible.
§ 7. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Food if he has considered the practicability of relating the retail price of white fish to the first price to stimulate demand when landings are excessive; and what steps he proposes to take.
§ Mr. StracheyIf the fall in prices at the ports were general and sustained we could adjust the maximum retail prices; but my Department has never been able to find a practicable way of ensuring that occasional local reductions in prices are passed on to the consumer.
§ Mr. ShepherdIf it is not practicable to relate the landing price to the selling price, why is it that the fishermen have to stand the loss through the landing price dropping so low? Cannot they have a standard minimum to ensure that they get a good catch?
§ Air-Commodore HarveyIs the Minister aware that during the last six weeks thousands of tons of fresh fish have been sold as manure and yet the prices in the shops have remained the same? Why should the fishermen receive such a poor return when the middleman is getting all the profits?
§ Mr. StracheyI am far from suggesting that the distribution of fish is perfect, but there is a price maximum fixed by the 1788 Ministry and there is nothing to prevent prices to the householder from dropping below that maximum.
§ Mr. ShepherdIf the prices cannot be lowered, why cannot the existing minimum to the fishermen be increased instead of allowing the middleman to earn so much money?
§ Mr. StracheyI could not agree that the margin between the two is excessive today.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs not the middleman's profit part of the Conservative policy?