§ Mr. JOHNasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he 734W will state the annual value of the product of the sea fisheries of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, respectively, and the sums expended or advanced by the State in connection therewith, in each case yearly, from 1900–1 to 1914–15?
§ Sir HARRY VERNEYThe preparation of a statement such as is asked for in the question, to cover a period of fifteen years, would entail a great deal of labour. Perhaps, therefore, having regard to the pressure of work in the Department at the present time, my hon. Friend would be content at the moment with an answer, so far as it is possible to give it, with regard to one year. In Appendix XXV., on page 44 of the recent Report of the Inshore Fisheries Committee (Cd. 7373) there appears a statement with regard to expenditure in the year 1913 which was specially prepared for the Committee. From this statement it will be seen that the expenditure on fisheries in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, respectively, for the year ending 31st March, 1913, was as follows:—
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries £23,019 Fishery Board for Scotland 37,234 Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland 33,872 Congested Districts Board for Ireland 34,125 I would remind my hon. Friend that, in the three countries concerned, there are different systems of administration conforming to different statutory conditions. The figures above quoted are not, therefore, strictly comparable. For notes explanatory of the statement I would refer my hon. Friend to the Report in question. The Welsh fisheries, as my hon. Friend is aware, are administered with those of England by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and I have no means of distinguishing the expenditure incurred in respect of Wales from that incurred in respect of England. The total value of wet fish landed at the ports of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, respectively, in the year 1913, was as stated hereunder:—
England … … … £9,270,338 Ireland … … … 294,625 Scotland … … … 3,925,360 Wales … … … 738,988 Of the total value of all landings of wet fish in Welsh ports, as stated above, all 735W but £29,884 are to be attributed to the three ports of Milford Haven (with Neyland), Swansea, and Cardiff. The above statement does not include landings of shell-fish, as to which perhaps I may be allowed to refer my hon. Friend to the Reports annually published by the Board.