HC Deb 24 March 1994 vol 240 cc413-4
12. Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions she has had with her European Community counterparts in respect of the salmon farming industry.

Mr. Jack

I and my hon. Friend the Scottish Minister with responsibility for agriculture and the environment discussed the problems of the farmed salmon sector with colleagues at the Council of EU Fisheries Ministers in December 1993.

Mr. Macdonald

Now that the Scottish industry has presented to the European Commission the Ernst and Young report, which provides hard evidence of dumping and the unfair subsidies that are given to the Norwegian industry, will the Minister give an undertaking that the Government will make a formal request to the Commission to press for a proper investigation of that evidence before the Scottish industry is absolutely decimated by the dumping?

Mr. Jack

I can understand the hon. Gentleman's concern about the difficult situation in which Scottish salmon farmers find themselves, but the evidence of dumping in the report presented to the Commission was based on information from as long ago as 1991.

The hon. Gentleman is quite right: there has been a subsequent report from Ernst and Young, dealing with Norwegian state aid. It is now up to the Commission to follow up that matter. However, I think that it is more relevant to follow up the excellent work done by my hon. Friend the Scottish Minister in his meeting with the Norwegians on 18 February when co-operation between Norway and Scotland was discussed.

Mr. Bill Walker

In those discussions, will my hon. Friend bear in mind the fact that Norway hopes to become a member of the European Union? If it does, it must be made to understand that it cannot be a member of the Union if it is giving unfair subsidies to an industry that is in direct competition with Scottish produce. Should not it be made to understand that now, before it joins?

Mr. Jack

Having spent 130 hours in the past three weeks in Brussels dealing with enlargement negotiations, I am sure that Norway has no doubt about its obligations should it become a member of the European Union. I can assure my hon. Friend that the matters that lie at the heart of his question have been drawn to the attention of Norway and that the Commission is aware of them. It is important to realise that good co-operation between the Norwegian and Scottish industries is the best way out of the current problems.

Mr. William Ross

During his discussions with other member states, did the hon. Gentleman give consideration to the problems created by salmon cages, whereby increased numbers of parasites affect other fish such as sea trout? Will he consider the problems related to the salmon farm off the coast at Lame, which is situated in the open sea?

Mr. Jack

I am aware of the problem to which the hon. Gentleman refers. One of the problems in relation to the extra output of farmed salmon and trout relates to the ability to overcome some of the water-born diseases. If the hon. Gentleman will write to me with further information on the specific point that he mentioned, I will look into it.