§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he has given any undertaking to other member States of the EEC that they will be given access for fishing purposes to any areas within a new internationally-agreed 200-mile British exclusive economic zone which lie beyond the limits of the present common fisheries policy;
(2) whether he will seek to embody his proposals for a variable British fishing limit within the EEC, in an amendment to the Treaty of Accession rather than in a directive.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe present common fisheries policy applies to the maritime waters coming under the sovereignty or 443W within the jurisdiction of each member State. It would therefore automatically apply to the whole of the waters within a member State's 200-mile limit when the limit of fisheries jurisdiction is extended to 200 miles. The Government are actively pursuing within the Community the necessary revision of the CFP, including the establishment of reserved coastal bands. It is too early to say precisely what legal form would be most appropriate.