§ 53. Mr. George Jegerasked the President of the Board of Trade in what respects the proposed merger of the firms engaged in trawler fishing differs from the plan recently rejected by the Monopolies Commission; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DellDiscussions are continuing between the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation and firms in the industry but we have not yet had firm proposals. It would be premature to make a comparison with the merger considered by the Monopolies Commission.
§ Mr. JegerWould my hon. Friend not agree that in view of the difficulties that the fishing industry is going through and has been going through for a number of years, the need for modernisation of the fishing fleet, the improvement of the: safety precautions both for the ships and for the men at sea and the constant subsidisation of the industry, the best solution would be to take it into public ownership?
§ Mr. DellI agree entirely with my hon. Friend about the problems that the fishing industry has faced, and it is for this reason that we welcome the investigation that the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation is now making. It would, of course, be premature for me to comment on the proposals that it will bring forward.
§ Sir K. JosephDoes it not look as if the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation and the Monopolies Commission are forming entirely contradictory attitudes on a single problem? What are the Government going to do about it?
§ Mr. DellThe right hon. Gentleman is a little premature in saying "forming contradictory attitudes". The Industrial Reorganisaiton Corporation has not come to any conclusions. He should wait before criticising.