HC Deb 07 November 1962 vol 666 cc949-50
5. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a further statement on the programme of scientific research and discovery in oceanography which is now in progress by the £800,000 Royal Research Ship "Discovery" indicating which other nations' ships are taking part in the expedition, which oceans are being and will be explored and what bearing it will have on the fishing industry.

Mr. C. Ian Orr-Ewing

Yes, Sir. Twelve other nations are taking part: Australia, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and the U.S.S.R. The India Ocean is being explored and the results, applied to other oceans, should eventually benefit world fishing by enabling the deep seas and warmer parts of the oceans to be worked.

Mr. Hughes

Does not the Civil Lord realise that the North Sea and other fishing grounds in the Northern Hemisphere are full of marine problems awaiting investigation by expeditions such as this? Might not this expensive and elaborate scientific expedition very fairly devote some of its investigations to the North Sea, with advantage to the fishing industry of Britain and our food supplies?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

The question of the North Sea, particularly off Aberdeen, comes more directly under the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. I will draw to the attention of the Secretary of State the hon. and learned Gentleman's interest in it. No doubt, he might take the opportunity to visit the Department's laboratory in Aberdeen.

Lady Tweedsmuir

It was said earlier that this ship would be used to explore northern waters, that is, the North Sea and further north, to see whether it was possible to find new fishing grounds in this area. Is anything being done to find fresh grounds for the middle-water fleets?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

When "Discovery" has finished this international oceanographic research, her next commission will be in the north-east Atlantic on this sort of study.

Lady Tweedsmuir

Can my hon. Friend say when this is likely to be?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

I think that it will not be until late 1963.