§ Captain BOWYERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture the comparative catches and values of fish landed in England and Wales in May and June respectively; whether the catch fell off in June; whether the price per lb. increased in the same month; and whether this falling off in the catch was due to a number of vessels being laid up?
Sir A. BOSCAWENAccording to the Returns obtained by the Ministry, the catches and values of fish landed in May and June respectively are as follows:—
Quantity. Value. Cwts. £ May, 1920 1,027,678 1,333,624 June, 1920 989,619 1,595,871 From these figures it is apparent that the catch fell off by 38,000 cwts., and the value per lb. increased by 0.58d. It is probable that the falling off in the catch was due to some extent to vessels being laid up, but I am not in a position to say that that was the sole cause.
§ Captain BOWYERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether, in calculating the profit or loss accruing on the Government trawling venture, he has charged the expenses of management to the expenses of I he vessel; whether and, if so, at what rate interest on capital, insurance, and depreciation charges have been debited against the vessels' voyages; from whom and at what rate are these vessels supplied with coal and stores; whether he will lay upon the Table the detailed calculations on which ho based his estimate that the Government trawling fleet was on the whole paying its way in June and July; and will he now state how many voyages have actually been made by the 36 Government steam trawlers thus engaged, and were vessels stationed elsewhere than on the West Coast fishing at a profit?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the vessels themselves, being Government property are uninsured. The risks of liability for damage to third parties, and in respect of workmen's compensation, are covered at ordinary current rates and debited against the vessels. No allowance634W is made for interest on capital or depreciation. Coal and other stores are purchased in the open market at current prices, except in cases where surplus Government stores can be utilised. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by publishing the detailed calculations referred to in the question, but I should be pleased to show the hon. and gallant Member a summary of the accounts of the various vessels. I have already informed the hon. and gallant Member by letter of the number of voyages made by these vessels. With regard to the last paragraph of the question, some of the vessels fishing on the East Coast were, at one time, not paying their way, and they have in consequence been transferred to the West Coast.
§ Captain BOWYERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he received a letter. No. C.P. 115,357/19/G22,829, dated 24th November, 1919, from the British Trawlers' Federation, in which it was stated that all ex-service fishermen could easily be absorbed into their old places in the fishing industry, and that the industry was already suffering from an extreme shortage of men; whether the object of the Admiralty in utilising Government trawlers for fishing was to provide employment for ex-service men; whether, before deciding on 17th December, 1919, to use Government trawlers in this way, the British Trawlers' Federation was consulted with regard to the statement it had made in the letter above referred to; if not, why not; and for what reasons the Admiralty inaugurated the scheme of Admiralty trawlers, which have worked in competition with private firms suffering from shortage of labour?
§ Sir J. CRAIGThe letter referred in the first part of the question was received by the Admiralty and answered on 3rd December. If the hon. Member in the latter part of his question is referring to the Government scheme for the disposal of Admiralty trawlers to an Ex-Service Fisherman's Co-operative Society, this matter has been discussed with the British Trawlers' Federation on more than one occasion. If he is referring to the temporary use of some of the Admiralty trawlers by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Federation was-not consulted on this matter. The use of such vessels as are already fitted for 635W fishing was a purely temporary measure undertaken to ensure the profitable employment of the ships and to avoid deterioration pending the formation of the Co-operative Society.