HC Deb 19 January 1976 vol 903 cc336-7W
Mr. McNamara

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the proposal of the EEC Commission for a £200 million fund to be used by the Commission to reduce the size of the European inshore fleet; what effect this will have on the inshore fleets within the United Kingdom; and what size he envisages the fleet reaching.

Mr. Bishop

The fund is one element in the proposals published by the EEC Commission in December last for common action for the restructuring of the Community inshore fishing industry. An explanatory memorandum— Ref.: R/2988/75—on these proposals was submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 5th January.

The proposals are still under initial study by the industry and the Fishery Departments as a prelude to joint consideration, and they will also be discussed between member States in the usual way.

I feel that it would be premature for me to comment in detail on these proposals which are of a very general character until they have been developed with greater precision as a result of these various discussions.