HL Deb 09 April 1957 vol 202 cc1128-9

2.39 p.m.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, in the absence of my noble friend Lord Silkin, who is detained at a meeting, I beg to ask the Question which stands in his name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the steady rise in recent months in the price of white fish meal; whether they believe these increases are fully justified; and whether, in view of the effect of these increases in feeding costs, they are prepared to take action to bring about a reduction in these costs.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD (EARL ST. ALDWYN)

My Lords, I understand that the price of home-produced white fish meal ex-factory has been stable since the autumn. From such information as I have been able to obtain to-day the only increase in the delivered price from merchants in recent months has been a rise of a few shillings per ton to cover increased transport costs.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, does the noble Earl really think that the present price for fish meal is justified? The cost, delivered, is now something like £76 ton. How does the noble Earl reconcile that with the need for trying to keep down, for example, costs of pig production?

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, the figure is nearer £74 a ton. Figures which I have received to-day from three merchants in various parts of the country all show prices of somewhere in the region between £74 and £74 10s. 0d.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

That is not much better, is it?

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, for the sake of accuracy, I felt we should record it. So far as I can ascertain, I think the price is justified. It compares favourably with lower-protein-content imported fish meal. As the noble Viscount knows, the price quoted is not so much a ton basically; it is so much per unit of protein content.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

But the fact remains that in the course of a very few years this commodity has gone up by about £20-odd a ton—nearly £20 a ton, at any rate. That is a very heavy increase; and now that pig prices are dropping it becomes a serious factor for the pig producers.

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords may I give some of the ex-factory prices? In 1954, it was £64 10s. 0d. per ton, and in October, 1956—and the same price rules to-day—it was £68 per ton. That is ex-factory.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

But I am referring to the cost delivered through the merchants to the producer. It is fundamental, I think, that I should be able to tell my noble friend Lord Silkin if the noble Earl could answer his other question, what steps the Government propose to take to get the cost down.

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, we do not propose to take any steps at the moment. The noble Lord's original Question referred to "the steady rise in recent months," and there just has not been a steady rise in recent months.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

Those who pay the piper know.