HC Deb 20 November 1968 vol 773 cc1286-7
44. Mr. Gordon Campbell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action Her Majesty's Government will take to control imports of fish, in view of the failure of agreements with certain countries on annual quotas.

23. Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the limitation of imports of fish and fish products.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

The 10 per cent. tariff on imports of frozen fish fillets from E.F.T.A. countries was re-imposed on 9th November, We are keeping the import situation generally under review.

Mr. Campbell

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that this import duty, announced since my Question was put down, will have the effect of limiting imports of fish from Norway to the extent prescribed in the agreement, and is the report correct that Norway is raising this matter in E.F.T.A.?

Mr. Hughes

The answer to the latter part of the question is "Yes". With regard to the first part of it, I think the hon. Gentleman will have seen from the reactions reported in the Press that the 10 per cent. duty will probably achieve its objective.

Mr. James Johnson

What is the position with regard to wet fish landings, which have caused us enormous disquiet and anxiety on Humberside all this year?

Mr. Hughes

Wet fish imports, except from the Commonwealth preference area, have all along been subject generally to the 10 per cent. duty, whether from E.F.T.A. or non-E.F.T.A. sources, and the recent announcement makes no change in this respect.

Mr. Stodart

Is it not too easy for a country like Norway, which is already spending £15 million on subsidising fish, to evade the action taken by the right hon. Gentleman over the 10 per cent. surcharge simply by subsidising further to get down below the import tariff?

Mr. Hughes

I think we must see how the 10 per cent. duty works.

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