§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will investigate the recent increase in the price of fish. [47857]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 1 July 1998]: On the basis of data collected by the Office for National Statistics, there is no evidence of recent significant rises in retail prices for fresh fish. But with UK processors relying heavily on imported supplies, prices for fish products are susceptible to changes in the supply situation on the world market. One of the key supply areas for cod and haddock for the UK is the Barents Sea, but supplies from this fishery have decreased significantly in 1998. This, together with a temporary reduction in world supplies of other whitefish, appears to be responsible for some 281W increase in price for processed fish. I do not, however, consider that further investigation is necessary at the moment.