HL Deb 16 October 1996 vol 574 cc1682-4

12.59 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking as a result of the report, published in July, of the Common Fisheries Policy Review Group.

Lord Lucas

My Lords, the Government have welcomed the report as making a constructive contribution to debate on how best to improve the common fisheries policy. The period of public consultation on the report has recently ended and the Government will respond formally to the report in the light of the results of that consultation.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his encouraging reply. As the group recommended reform rather than unilateral withdrawal, do the Government recognise the strong support also from the fishermen's organisations representing the large majority of fishermen in this country? Do they also recognise that the EU requirement to reduce our fleet by 40 per cent. cannot be considered seriously unless it applies equally and fairly to the other members of the EU, and unless the quota hopping boats are not counted as being in the British fleet?

Lord Lucas

My Lords, I cannot but agree with everything my noble friend says.

Lord Carter

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the central problem for the UK in the review of the common fisheries policy is quota hopping? Is he further aware that quota hopping can happen only if UK licence holders sell their licences to foreign owners? How many licence holders have been forced to sell because the UK Government refuse to use the European grants to assist in decommissioning? If boats had been decommissioned the owners would not have been forced to sell their licences. The Government have much to answer for on the problem of quota hopping.

Lord Lucas

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Carter, is stretching the possibilities in his allegations. I do not follow his logic; nor do I understand how it is possible to suggest that our not taking up a grant for which we were not eligible diverted people from taking a free decision to sell their boats or their quota or that they might have taken other decisions. The noble Lord is far too speculative. I do not recognise that the consequences flow as alleged by the noble Lord.

Lord Carter

My Lords, is the Minister saying that the Government's support of the free market in licences is not a key factor in quota hopping?

Lord Lucas

My Lords, the free market licence is part of the single market. There is no way in which we could overcome that without amending the Treaty of Rome.

Lord Beaumont of Whitley

My Lords, will the Minister comment on the report in the Sunday Telegraph of 6th October? It stated that not only is there a plan far advanced in Brussels to finish the CFP in the year 2002 in favour of a permit system which would probably work even more against Britain, but also that his department has so far denied the existence of such a plan.

Lord Lucas

No, my Lords. It has always been known that in 2002 the current arrangements come to an end. It will then be necessary to negotiate their continuance. I have been made aware of the allegation that there is some great plot to create a single European fisheries policy, policed by a single European system and run entirely from Brussels as of 2002. We have seen the reports of the recent goings on where every single country in the European Union reacted fiercely against the Commission's proposals on fisheries. Anyone who has read those reports will realise that such allegations are complete nonsense.

Lord Tebbit

My Lords, will my noble friend say what will happen in the year 2002 if the United Kingdom resolutely resists the ideas which will come forward from the others—no doubt to cheat us still further? There will be no common fisheries policy or regime. What happens then?

Lord Lucas

My Lords, I hope to be alive then, but not to see that.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, is the Minister aware that without some form of common fisheries policy there will be no fish?

Lord Lucas

My Lords, it is also possible that even with the common fisheries policy there will be no fish.