Memorandum submitted by the London Fish
Merchants Association (Billingsgate) Ltd
The merchants at Billingsgate Market are disappointed
with the written Ministerial Statement on the Review of London's
Wholesale markets. It would appear that the Government are minded
to grant permission to New Covent Garden Market for the sale of
products other than horticultural produce and flowers, ie fish
and meat.
We would like your Sub-Committee to consider
that if the Secretary of State was minded to grant this permission
to New Covent Garden Market in isolation from the other London
markets, we believe very strongly that this would be uncompetitive.
Without enabling legislation which would allow the other London
markets to compete on a like for like basis, then Billingsgate
Market together with the other London markets will be severely
disadvantaged. We shall be urging the Corporation of London to
take the appropriate action necessary to prevent the Secretary
of State from granting permission to New Covent Garden Market
in isolation from the other London Markets.
We would respectfully request that your sub-committee
and indeed the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee urge
the Government to follow this course of action in the hope that
the Secretary of State, after considering these facts, would initiate
legislation for London markets as a whole.
June 2003
| 
