§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will list all the bodies and individuals from whom he received formal or informal representations about the east coast salmon fisheries between the date when the report on the fisheries was first 247W delivered to his Department and the date of its publication; and whether he will list any further bodies or individuals whom he consulted on the matter;
(2) if he will list the changes made to the text of the report on east coast salmon fisheries between the day it was delivered to his Department and the day it was published.
§ Mr. CurryWe received very many representations on the matter of the statutory review of the east coast salmon net fisheries, dating from the undertaking to prepare a review which was given to Parliament during the passage of the Salmon Bill in 1986, until its presentation to Parliament in October 1991. There were, however, no consultations about the report or its contents which, as section 39 of the Act makes clear, are matters for my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Scotland to consider and present to Parliament. As the report itself describes, scientists from the Fisheries Department of MAFF and the Scottish Office prepared a very detailed background document for us. The only significant change made to it after its receipt involved revisions to the text to reflect the 1990 catch data which later became available for the review area. This updating was mentioned to the House by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 22 July.