Mr. WEST RUSSELLasked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the views expressed in the Food Investigation Report (No. 37), issued by the Department of Scientific Research, to the effect that the present day landing of large quantities of stale fish is detrimental to the fishing industry; and whether he proposes to take any steps in restrict this practice?
§ Dr. ADDISONI would refer the hon. Member to the replies which my right hon. Friend gave to questions by the hon. Member for Farnham (Mr. A. M. Samuel) on 24th February, copies of which I am sending to him.
Mr. RUSSELLasked the Minister of Agriculture the estimated amount of stale fish imported annually into this country and sold for public consumption?
§ Mr. N. BUXTONIt is obviously impossible to make such an estimate having regard to the number of gradations of quality between fresh and stale. I would remind the hon. Member that in the Report on the Handling and Stowage of White Fish at Sea, to which he presumably refers, it is pointed out that the term "stale' is used in the economic sense and that it does not denote that the fish is unfit for human consumption.
Mr. RUSSELLasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he contemplates taking any steps to produce, in a more accessible form than the one in which it now appears, the Report by the Ministry describing in a concise and simple form how purchasers can detect if fish is not fresh?
§ Mr. BUXTONI presume that the question refers to a Report on the Handling and Stowage of White Fish at Sea, recently published by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and that the hon. Member contemplates the issue of a leaflet directing attention to the symptoms of staleness in fish. In my opinion, the issue of such 1509W a leaflet would create a false impression in the minds of the general public with regard to the quality of fish usually exposed for sale in respect to which there is in general a high and improving standard of excellence.