§ 2.38 p.m.
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (THE EARL OF HUNTINGDON)My Lords, the 788 Motion now before your Lordships relates to the Herring Industry (Amending) Scheme. This amending scheme is necessary because the Herring Industry Board exercises only such powers as are contained in the approved scheme governing its activities, and when it is desired to amend or extend the powers to be exercised by the Board it is necessary to amend the principal scheme. The principal scheme is the Herring Industry Scheme of 1935, which was made after the passing of the Herring Industry Act of that year. Since then statutory provisions have been made for further powers being conferred on the Board, and it is now proposed in the amending scheme to extend those powers in three respects. There are further powers which, under the Herring Industry Acts, could be included in the Herring Industry Scheme, but these involve matters of a somewhat controversial nature, and we have therefore chosen for the present scheme those powers which are most urgently required and about which there is general agreement. I may inform your Lordships that the industry has been consulted in accordance with the statutory requirements, about the proposed extension of the powers of the Board, and is entirely in its favour.
The three additional powers are as follows: In the first place, the 1935 scheme empowers the Board to make loans in connexion with the construction, reconditioning and equipment of boats. The amending scheme, in paragraph (A) (1), substitutes in effect the word "provision" for the word "construction," as authorized by the Herring Industry Act, 1944. This will enable the Board to assist a man in buying an existing boat as well as in building a new one, and it will be of great value in these days, when many fishermen are hoping to purchase second-hand vessels which the Admiralty are now releasing. Secondly, paragraph (A) (2) of the amending scheme provides additional loan-making powers for the Board in accordance with the provision made in Section 6 (1) of the Herring Industry Act, 1938. The inclusion of this power in the Herring Industry Scheme will enable the Board to give assistance to societies or organizations formed for the purpose of acquiring nets and gear, fuel for boats, and other fishing requisites. Thirdly, Section 2 (a) of the 789 Herring Industry Act, 1944, provided that the Board might be given power to purchase boats and equipment for the purpose of chartering or hiring them to fishermen. The Amendment proposed in sub-paragraph (c) of the amending scheme will provide this additional power.
The amending scheme has been considered by the Special Orders Committee of your Lordships' House, who have reported that the scheme does not raise important questions of policy and that the scheme can be passed by the House without special attention. Therefore, I do not propose to trouble your Lordships further in this matter, and I beg to move that this Special Order be approved.
§ Moved, That the Special Order, as reported from the Special Orders Committee on Thursday last, be approved.—(The Earl of Huntingdon.)
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, I think I should at once rise to say that we welcome these proposals. I believe they follow what was being done by the then Secretary of State for Scotland, the then Minister of Agriculture and myself in the days of the Coalition Government. I believe that these Amendments that are being made will help to put some of the herring fishermen back on their feet.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.