§ Q1. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Prime Minister if he will direct the appropriate Ministers to prepare a White Paper containing all the official records and information within the possession or procurement of Her Majesty's Government relating to restrictions placed during the last ten years by the Governments of the maritime nations of Northern Europe on fishing in the territorial waiters adjacent and contiguous to their coasts, with special reference to the bearing of those restrictions on the British fishing industry.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)No, Sir. British vessels are not, of course, permittted to fish in foreign territorial waters. Restrictions on fishing outside territorial waters are the subject of agreements which have already been published as White Papers.
§ Mr. HughesDoes not the Prime Minister realise that the plans and manoeuvres of the other maritime nations to outwit and damage the British fishing industry have been remarkably successful? Does he not agree that the best way to counter these moves would be to make a full disclosure of all the facts in a White Paper so that the British fishing industry can protect itself, if the Government will not protect it?
§ The Prime MinisterAll the facts have been published in the four agreements concerned—namely, those with the Soviet Union, Denmark, Norway and Iceland.
§ Q2. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Prime Minister if he will direct the appropriate Ministers to prepare a White Paper containing all the official records within the possession or procurement of Her Majesty's Government indicating how many international and other conferences abroad and within Great Britain relating to the fishing industry involved the attendance there of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and 1461 if, in view of the number of such conferences, he will now appoint a Minister to he responsible solely for the fishing industry.
§ The Prime MinisterNo. Sir.
§ Mr. HughesDoes not the Prime Minister realise that the duties of the present occupant of the office require him to be in several places at once? Does he recall that 100 years ago an Irish Member, Sir Boyle Roche, said:
No man can be in two places at once barring he is a bird.Does not the right hon. Gentleman intend to answer? Is he a sitting bird?