Common Fisheries Policy (Hansard, 4 February 1982)

§ 4. Sir Walter Clegg
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what stage has been now reached in the negotiations for a common fisheries policy.

§ 10. Mr. Teddy Taylor
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the negotiations with the European Economic Community on the establishment of a common fisheries policy.

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Alick Buchanan-Smith)
Progress has been made on marketing, on conservation and on the Community's reciprocal fishing arrangements with certain third countries, including Norway. The next meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers is expected to take place in March.

§ Sir Walter Clegg
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that he will take representatives of the industry with him and will consult them during the negotiations? Does he accept that, if possible, he should reach a conclusion that is satisfactory to them? What effect will the common fisheries policy negotiations have on the structure of the deep sea fleet?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
As to the latter part of my hon. Friend's question, it is commonly realized—although not in certain quarters—that the main problem faced by the deep sea fleet has been the extension of limits to 200 miles around countries such as Iceland, which has nothing to do with the common fisheries policy. As to the first part of his question, on all occasions we have taken representatives of the fishermen to the Council of Ministers. We shall continue to do so, and we believe that the only settlement that we can make is one that is acceptable to the British fishing industry.

§ Mr. Taylor
Will my right hon. Friend assure us that under no circumstances will he concede the principle of the exclusive 12-mile limit around the United Kingdom? If no common fisheries policy is arranged by the end of the year, what legal authority do we have to stop vessels from the Common Market from fishing right up to our beaches and wiping out our fish stocks?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
As I have made clear on many occasions, all hon. Members have a shared objective of a 12-mile exclusive zone. We must also consider the position of those countries with historic rights within the six to l2-mile zone, which is a factor in the negotiations. I emphasise that we continue to consult the fishing industry, to which a final settlement must be satisfactory.

§ Mr. James Johnson
Bearing in mind how bitterly, and, in my view, unfairly, Conservatives attacked the last Labour Minister for not having obtained a settlement on the common fisheries policy, does the right hon. Gentleman expect to get things moving within the next six months? Beyond that, it will be a question of sauve qui peut. What does he intend to do about the Danes in the North Sea, for example?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I acknowledge the hon. Gentleman's deep interest in the fishing industry. He is wrong to say that the previous Minister who spoke for the fishing industry did not have the full support of the House, which I hope the present Government do. As to progress on the common fisheries policy, the two crucial issues of quotas and access remain. I am under no illusion that they will not be difficult to settle. Equally, in the interim, we stand by our record. During the past two years, when there has been uncertainty because of the time taken, we have stood by the fishing industry in many ways, not least with financial support.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I propose, exceptionally, to call two further hon. Members from either side on this question.

§ Mr. McQuarrie
Has my right hon. Friend's attention been drawn to the fact that Denmark has over-fished in the southern North Sea by 10 times? It has taken 11,500 tonnes against a 1,000 tonnes proposed quota. What action will he take at the Council of Ministers meeting in March about that breach of the fishing regulations? Does he agree that it does not assist us towards the completion of a common fisheries policy?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
We regard the reports of over-fishing by the Danes as completely unsatisfactory. We are not waiting for the March meeting, but have already made our views plain to the Commission. The matter underlines the necessity of a common fisheries policy with proper policing and control so as to prevent such over-fishing.

§ Mr. Robert Hughes
Will the Minister rebuke his hon. Friends the Members for North Fylde (Sir W. Clegg) and for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) for the use of sloppy language at Question Time? Is he aware that there is a common fisheries policy—that is the trouble—and that we are trying to negotiate a new one? Is he aware that every deadline so far set by the Government has passed with no success or finality and that, in the interim, the industry is sliding into chaos? Will he set a definite deadline of not later than June this year for the issue to be resolved or for firm action to be taken?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
The hon. Gentleman is playing with words. We all know that we are trying to renegotiate the common fisheries policy. Criticisms come ill from the hon. Gentleman, who was a member of the Government who tried to renegotiate Britain's entry into the Common Market and who gave away so much in the Hague agreement of 1976. I need no lecturing from him about how the negotiations should be conducted in the interests of the British fishing industry.

§ Mr. Michael Shaw
Is my right hon. Friend aware that the sense of urgency that was lacking in the Labour Government is now apparent to all? Is he further aware that the fishing industry knows that, although an early 529 settlement is paramount, it would be of no help to fix a time limit that would hamper rather than help my right hon. Friend?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I agree with my hon. Friend. We do not wish to have just any settlement, but a satisfactory settlement. We shall work for that. In the progress that we have made in matters such as conservation and marketing, we have managed to deal with many issues to the benefit of the British fishing industry. Let us hope the we can get down to dealing constructively and satisfactorily with the remaining issues.

§ Mr. McNamara
What hope and help does the Minister hold out for the 1,000 unemployed fishermen in Hull? Is there a deadline for negotiations at the end of the year? If he has effectively written off the deep water fleet, what help will he give to regions such as Hull and Fleetwood to reconstruct the industry and to give hope and jobs to the people who live there, or is he happy to cast them aside?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I wholly refute the hon. Gentleman's comments about the Government not standing up for the interests of our deep sea fleet. The hon. Gentleman should consider three matters, the first of which is the opportunities that we have negotiated, although not as many as we would wish, in certain distant waters. The second is the aid that we have given the industry in the past two years, £7.6 million of which has gone to the deep sea section. Thirdly, in our fishing management schemes—such as the mackerel scheme—special conditions have been laid down that have been available only to the deep sea fleet. That does not show a lack of concern for the deep sea fishermen.