§ Mr. David Myles (Banff) (by private notice)asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the Buckie-registered fishing vessel "Celerity" reported missing in the Pentland Firth yesterday.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade (Mr. Reginald Eyre)The fishing vessel "Celerity" sailed from Kinlochbervie at 2130 on Tuesday 17 March with a crew of six on board, bound for Peterhead.
At 0620 on 18 March the fishing vessel "Crystal Sea" alerted the coastal radio station at Wick that she had lost radar contact with the fishing vessel "Celerity" in suspicious circumstances. The "Crystal Sea" had been steaming approximately five miles astern of the "Celerity" and both vessels were heading eastbound into the Pentland Firth. Weather conditions at the time were severe, with heavy snow squalls.
The coastguard alerted all ships in the area and mounted an air search, which was continued until nightfall. A check of harbours and a coastline search was also carried out by the coastguard. The air search was resumed and widened this morning, using an RAF Nimrod and a Shackleton, and continued until 1500.
I regret to say that no trace of the "Celerity" or its crew has been found and it is my very sad duty to have to inform the House that the vessel must be presumed lost. My Department has ordered a preliminary inquiry into the loss of the vessel.
I am very conscious of the fact that the community of Buckie, which relies so much on the traditional skill and fortitude of its fishermen, has paid a particularly heavy and tragic price in recent times. I am sure that hon. Members would wish to join me in expressing deepest sympathies for the families and relatives of the crew of the "Celerity" and I should be grateful if my hon. Friend would convey this message to the people of Buckie.
§ Mr. MylesI thank my hon. Friend for that sad statement. I shall certainly carry the sympathy of the House to the relatives of the unfortunate men from Buckie and Portgordon when I visit them at the weekend.
I greatly deplore the fact that this is the fourth fishing vessel that has been lost from Buckie since I became a Member of Parliament. First we lost the "Corinthia", then the "Ocean Monarch", and then the "Bounteous". Surely that is too many.
The crew consisted of Sandy Bruce, aged 38, of 7 Cathay Terrace, Cullen, who was a very competent skipper. His grandfather pioneered motor fishing vessels out of Buckie. Other crew members were John Innes, of South View, Buckie; Francis Goodall, of 28 McKenzie Road, Buckie; Richard Clark, of 10 Linn Crescent, Buckie; George Reid, of 126 Douglas Crescent, Buckie; and William Grant, a son-in-law of Richard Clark, of 28a Gordon Street, Portgordon.
Will my hon. Friend do everything possible to prevent such a tragic occurrence being repeated? The dangers to which fishermen are exposed far exceed the dangers facing any other sector of the community. Therefore, the Department must recognise its great responsibility. We all have a responsibility to secure the economic viability of the fishing industry.
§ Mr. EyreI note with regret my hon. Friend's comment. My Department realises fully its responsibilities 430 to the fishing industry. With the fishing industry safety group, my Department is doing all that it can—and successfully—to raise safety standards in the industry. It is recognised to be a perilous industry.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Although this is a private notice question, in view of its substance I shall call the three hon. Members on the Government Benches who have tried to catch my eye and the two right hon. Members and one hon. Member on the Opposition Benches.
§ Mr. Bruce Millan (Glasgow, Craigton)May I on behalf of my right hon. and hon. Friends express our sympathy for the relatives and friends of the men who are lost? This is not the first grievous loss in that area. It reminds us that fishing is still a hazardous occupation.
We note that there is to be an inquiry. In view of the recurrence of such losses in recent years, I hope that it will be a wide-ranging inquiry. It is extremely worrying that there have been a number of such tragedies in recent years.
Can the Minister say anything about coastguard surveillance in the area? Suggestions for improvements have been made. That implies that there may be some deficiencies in the present arrangements. I do not say that in a critical spirit, but I should be grateful if the hon. Gentleman could deal with the matter.
§ Mr. EyreI can assure the right hon. Gentleman that the preliminary inquiry will be wide-ranging. I can assure him that the coastguards were fully active, as I made clear in my statement. They did all that they possibly could, in very difficult circumstances.
It has been suggested that the coastguard service at Wick should remain there but that part should be transferred to augment the coastguard service available at Kirkwall. I believe that that move is not yet ready. However, I hope that it will prove of assistance to the fishing industry.
§ Mr. Albert McQuarrie (Aberdeenshire, East)It was my unfortunate duty to accompany my hon. Friend the Member for Banff (Mr. Myles) to the memorial services following the loss of the previous vessels to which he referred. As the "Celerity" was sailing to its home port of Peterhead, in my constituency, I share my hon. Friend's sorrow and that of the thousands of fishermen in and around my constituency. It is sad that the poor town of Buckie has had to suffer such a dreadful loss in the last few years.
§ Mr. J. Grimond (Orkney and Shetland)I should like to be associated with the regret that has been expressed, and to express sympathy with the families of the lost men. Does not this once again illustrate the extreme danger of fishing in the seas around Orkney and Shetland, and the cost in lives of bringing fish to this country? Since they have been mentioned, would it not be appropriate to pay a tribute to the work of the coastguards, which is carried out in all weathers and is vital to fishermen in the North of Scotland?
§ Mr. EyreI appreciate the right hon. Member's words of regret. I very much appreciate the tribute that he paid to the coastguards, who play a wonderful part in doing all they can to ensure safety in this area.
§ Mr. Bill Walker (Perth and East Perthshire)Everyone in Scotland will be saddened by this additional loss and 431 will welcome the interest that the House is showing in this difficult area. Will my hon. Friend and his colleagues in Government look carefully at the facilities that are available for aerial surveillance and sea operations in the now busy waters of the North Sea? The waters are far busier than they have ever been, and the problems are mounting daily. The fishermen who must go out into those waters are facing not only the problems of the elements but the additional problems brought about by oil-related activities.
§ Mr. EyreI appreciate the points raised by my hon. Friend. I assure him that major improvements in the coastguard VHF radio coverage of the North Coast of Scotland have been introduced in the past two years. Search and rescue capability in that area has been strengthened by the establishment of RAF Sea King helicopters at Lossiemouth. Those helicopters were active yesterday in the search in the Pentland Firth.
§ Mr. Gordon Wilson (Dundee, East)I associate myself and my right hon. Friend the Member for Western Isles (Mr. Stewart) with the expression of sympathy that the Minister will make on behalf of the House to the relatives of the deceased. It is on such occasions that those of us who do not have fishing constituencies realise the sacrifice made by those who go to sea in dangerous conditions to bring back the fish that form part of our livelihood.
§ Mr. Alex Pollock (Moray and Nairn)I associate myself, on behalf of the neighbouring constituency of Moray and Nairn, with the expressions of sympathy already put forward by the House. The House will understand that the fishing community on the North-East Coast of Scotland is tightly knit, and that the loss to one port is a loss to them all. Will the Minister confirm that in this incident a significant part was played both by RAF Lossiemouth—to which he referred—and RAF Kinloss? They have performed a very great service to the community.
§ Mr. EyreI appreciate my hon. Friend's words and I confirm that the RAF services played a notable part in the search, in the way that I have described.