§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the United Kingdom could take action under the European Economic Community common fisheries policy to prevent the use by foreign factory fishing ships operating outside United Kingdom territorial waters of small vessels to fish inside those waters.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartHow the common fisheries policy might apply to the United Kingdom is dependent upon the outcome of the entry negotiations: but nothing in the present policy prevents a member State from continuing to exclude from its waters the vessels of non-member States, or from restricting the activities in those waters of all Community vessels on a non-discriminatory basis.
§ Mr. Molyneauxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent it will be possible to continue the present Agricultural Remoteness Grant to Northern Ireland, and each of the schemes through which it is at present administered, in the event of entry to the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartIt is too early to say precisely what forms of national aid may be permissible within the European Economic Community. Article 92 of the Treaty of Rome states that national aids which distort or threaten to distort competition and adversely affect trade between member States are incompatible with the Common Market, but Article 92.3 provides that aid intended to promote the economic development of regions where the standard of living is abnormally low or where there is serious underemployment may be deemed compatible with the Common Market. Article 42 also provides for agricultural aid in areas of special difficulty.