§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requests he has received for compensation for fishing vessels and equipment damaged by the east coast floods on 11th January; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopMy Department has received requests that compensation should be paid to fishermen affected by the east coast floods from the Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee, the Fisheries Organisation Society, the Norfolk County Council and the Deal and Walmer Fishermen's Association.
My right hon. Friend has considered carefully whether it would be possible to make assistance available to the fishing industry, but he has regretfully concluded that this is not practicable. The Government have decided that we must adhere to the policy of successive Governments not to provide compensation for losses due to natural hazards from the Exchequer, and the only funds therefore that we have at our disposal are from the small but welcome contribution from Community sources. Given the impossibility of using such funds to provide help to all the large numbers of people who suffered loss or damage from the storms between November and February, this is being allocated to the most severely affected local authorities and to the self-help fund established by the farming community.
In the circumstances, the most appropriate source of assistance to fishermen will be from the local authorities under the powers granted to them in section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972.