§ Mr. McGovernasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, as representing the Ministry of Food, whether he is aware of the grave dissatisfaction in Glasgow and West of Scotland due to the high price of fish; whether he is aware of the existing practice in the Glasgow fish market where a few prominent traders keep an artificial shortage by combining to buy large supplies of fish to send to the North of Scotland for the purpose of smoking, charging large prices upon return of this smoked fish; and will he inquire into these practices and take action to fix prices and stop this method of exploitation?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMy Noble Friend is aware that there is some dissatisfaction in the Glasgow Area due to the high price of fish. As a result of inquiries he has made, he is satisfied that fish sent to the North of Scotland for curing is generally bought at prices lower than those ruling in the market for fish for immediate consumption and that there is nothing in the nature of a combine operating to keep prices at an artificial level. The possibility of devising an efficient scheme for controlling the price of fish is receiving my Noble Friend's active consideration.