§ Major Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the present position of the East of Scotland fishing industry in relation to the zoning scheme; the average weekly amount of transport saved by this scheme since its inception; and how much would have been saved under the scheme put forward by the fish trade itself?
§ Mr. MabaneThe catching side of the industry in the East of Scotland has not been affected by the zoning scheme, but fish from the East of Scotland may be distributed now only to Scotland, the northern parts of England which are in the Scottish and Hull zones and to London. The scheme entails the tying of wholesale merchants to trade customers and regulating their sales in accordance with' the quantities dealt in during July, August and September, 1941. My Noble Friend the Minister of War Transport informed me some weeks ago that the scheme had effected an economy in transport equivalent to 6,000 train miles per week in addition to other desirable economies in freight handling. Since that date I understand further economies have been effected. With regard to the last part of the Question, while I am not in a position to give precise particulars, I am informed that the economy in transport under the scheme submitted by the trade would have been considerably less than under the scheme now in operation.