asked the Minister of Food if he has considered the Report which has been sent to him of a conference of members of the Gloucestershire, Somersetshire and Wiltshire Retail Fish Trade Association held at Cheltenham on 29th September; and what action he proposes to take to improve existing conditions respecting supplies, quality and grading of fish and to prevent the present great wastage

My right hon. Friend has considered the Report and other representations on the same subject and with my right hon. Friends, the Fisheries Ministers, he has asked certain officials to make a special study of the problems of quality and hygiene in relation to fish.

Will discussions take place with representatives of the Retail Fish Trade Association, will this matter be treated as one of high priority, and when may we expect the result of these inquiries?

This is a scientific matter, and I am sure the hon. Gentleman will realise that probably the Retail Fish Trade Association could not make a helpful contribution, but we will certainly consider it.

Will the hon. Lady bear in mind that discontent is very widespread throughout the whole of the west of England? Supplies are, really bad. It is not a scientific matter. There must be something wrong with distribution.

We are discussing quality at the moment.