Vessel Owners (Decommissioning Grants)

HC Deb 25 October 1984 vol 65 cc798-800

7. Mr. Wallace

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many decommissioning grants have been paid to vessel owners since the inception of the scheme.

Mr. MacGregor

Fifty one.

Mr. Wallace

Does the Minister expect the rate of applications for the grant to increase during the next six months in view of the Government's sell-out to the European Community by increasing the percentage by-catch in the Norwegian pout fishery, which has been universally condemned by fishermen's associations throughout the country as threatening the health and wellbeing of the fishing industry?

Mr. MacGregor

I should be surprised if the effect of decommissioning grants was as the hon. Gentleman outlined. I shall write to him about the Norway pout by-catch issue. I do not believe that the grants will have the effect that he described, as the stock that will be most increased in the by-catch is whiting and we are well short of our quota for whiting. That will remain the case, so there is plenty of opportunity to catch the fish.

Mr. Donald Stewart

Does the Minister agree that more decommissioning grants will be called for in the light of the report which appeared in The Scotsman, which said that, by September, the Dutch had already fished three times their quota of mackerel for 1985? In view of the long delay in mackerel fisheries around the west coast of Scotland, does the Minister agree that the continual breaking of the rules will result in disaster for our fishermen?

Mr. MacGregor

The right hon. Gentleman knows that the British Government insisted on the setting up of the Inspectorate of Inspectors. There is already clear evidence from several fishery closures that the inspectorate is working. We are awaiting Commission reports on one matter relating to the Dutch Government. We must wait and see what it says. We shall look to the Commission to take vigorous action if any irregularities are uncovered. I assure the right hon. Gentleman that the inspectorate is beginning to have the impact that we desired.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

Perhaps I might make the rhetorical point that hardly any Danish vessels have been decommissioned under schemes such as this. Does the Minister agree that the English industry's real need is not decommissioning grants, which go to the owners rather than to the fishermen and simply reduce our ability to catch fish that are rightfully ours, but operating help to keep the industry going. whether in the form of a fuel subsidy such as the French enjoy or measures to keep ports such as Grimsby open? Grimsby has been threatened with closure recently and may be again unless the entire industry becomes more profitable.

Mr. MacGregor

My rhetorical answer to the hon. Gentleman's rhetorical point is that the Danes have had to close fisheries this year as a result of the inspectorate's action. I saw that for myself when I went to Denmark last week. The hon. Gentleman is tenacious on the second matter that he raised and I shall have to give him an equally tenacious answer. We see no prospect of operating subsidies. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not overlook the impact of the decommissioning grant—£7 million has already been paid, some of which has gone to Grimsby. By December 1986, £15 million will have been paid. That helps to bring our fleet's capacity more into line with fishing opportunities in pressure stocks. That is bound to help fishermen.

Dr. Godman

Given that vessels need crews to sail them, what is the likelihood of EC decommissioning grants being awarded to redundant fishermen?

Mr. MacGregor

That would not be permitted under the regulations governing the decommissioning grants.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Will the Minister face his responsibilities for the men who have lost their jobs after years in the industry? It is not good enough for the buck to be passed backwards and forwards between this country and Brussels. The Minister has a responsibility to those who work in the industry as well as to the boat owners.

Mr. MacGregor

I was not passing the buck back to Brussels; I was asked a question about decommissioning grants, which come from Brussels. The matter raised by the hon. Gentleman is primarily the responsibility of the Department of Employment. When the main impact occurred, successive Governments, including the previous Labour Government, decided not to take action on the lines suggested by the hon. Gentleman. It would be wrong to make payments going back many years and covering events that occurred under the Labour Government.