§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was paid to (a) Grimsby and (b) Hull in the grant towards dock and landing charges in each financial year it was available; what are his reasons for not extending the scheme; and what are the sums which would be available to the two ports for the same purposes under the £2 million temporary aid scheme.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithA scheme introduced by the previous Government provided for certain vessel operators to receive a single payment in the 1979–80 financial year in respect of dock charges incurred in 1978. £264,024 was paid towards charges at Grimsby, and £348,079 at Hull.
The scheme announced by my right hon. Friend on 13 March provided that producer organisations can make payments for a range of purposes including dock and landing charges. The funds are allocated to producers' organisations and not to individual ports; the Fish Producers Organisations Ltd. within the economic area of which Hull and Grimsby as well as other ports are represented has so far been allocated £657,000 under the scheme.