§ 31. Mrs. Castleasked the Minister of Food what answer he has given to the proposal by the Milford Haven Dock Company that Icelandic trawlers should land fish at Milford Haven.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI will send the hon. Member a copy of a letter I am sending to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Donnelly), who has been in correspondence with me on this subject.
§ Mrs. CastleIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware, if he is not too busy committing departmental suicide, that the housewife is being rendered desperate by the shortage of fish and the increase in price, and will he give an assurance that, if arrangements are made to have this fish landed at Milford Haven, he will not allow vested interests to sabotage its distribution?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI will not accept what the hon. Lady says either about the price or the quantity of fish. She knows perfectly well that this is a serious matter and that we are in communication with the Icelandic Government. There is nothing that I can do at the moment except to say that she should look at the letter that I will send to her.
§ Mr. DonnellyAs the Minister has heard the consumer's cry "from Blackburn's sooty mountain to Pembroke's pebbly strand," will he not reconsider what he has just said because it amounts to the complete abdication of his responsibilities in the distribution of fish?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, I cannot agree for a moment with that.