§ Mr. Randallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the impact on the British fishing fleet of the possibility of Japan becoming self-sufficient in squid as a result of access to the fisheries within a 200-mile limit of the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 6 December 1985: In recent years the arrangements for the purchase by East European factory ships of mackerel and herring caught by British fishermen have included barter deals for squid caught by East European trawlers and delivered to Japan and other markets. To the extent that Japan's import requirements were to be reduced as a result of increased catches by her own fishermen in the South Atlantic or elsewhere, this would clearly reduce the opportunity for the barter trade in this particular commodity. It is however impossible to estimate with any confidence to what extent, if at all, this would reduce the effective demand from the East European countries for our mackerel and herring.
§ Mr. Randallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the effect on revenue to the Government and the British fishing industry since 1983, of the Government not imposing a 200-mile fishing limit around the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 6 December 1985: It is difficult to give a categorical answer to what is essentially a hypothetical question, but it seems very unlikely that the revenue of the British fishing industry since 1983 has been significantly affected by the absence of an extended fishery limit around the Falkland Islands. The question of the effect, if any, on Government revenue is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.