§ 40. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the Hong Kong Fish Marketing Board, indicating what proportion of the fishermen own their boats and what proportion have mortgages through debt; and what plans have been considered for the organising of co-operative retail shops for the selling of the fish and a co-operative wholesale department for the export of the fish.
§ Mr. LytteltonI am consulting the Governor on the subject and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as I have received the reply, when he may care to put down another Question.
§ Mr. RankinI did hope that the right hon. Gentleman would have given me an answer to the supplementary which I put to him on the previous Question. In regard to my second Question, could the Minister tell me when the letter was sent seeking this information?
§ Mr. LytteltonI have not got the date here, but the general information on this is readily available in annual reports. The hon. Gentleman asked me to get him certain statistics, and I am very willing to get them, but they are not readily available.
§ Mr. RankinThe impression is that this scheme about which—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman must not say what his impression is.
§ Mr. RankinIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this scheme, about which we boasted a great deal, is falling to pieces because of the lack of Government action? Will he look into that aspect of it?
§ Mr. LytteltonI have already said I am getting the hon. Gentleman the statistics, I cannot answer general questions.