§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has made to(a) the French Government and (b) the European Commission about the legality, and effects on competition, of the £33.8 million of aid provided to the French fishing industry and its effects on fair competition;
(2) what proposals he has to consult the fishing industry with a view to providing support to it equivalent to the subsidised loans and emergency aid made available to the French industry by the French Government;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the emergency aid given to the French fishing industry on the extent of French fishing within British waters as designated under the Fishing Limits Act 1976.
§ Mr. CurryI have asked the French Government to supply information about the reported aid package for fishermen, in the course of pressing them for action in relation to the recent intolerable attacks on United Kingdom fish exports. We have also pressed the Commission to seek detailed information on this aid, so that it can discharge its responsibility to conclude whether it is compatible with the provisions of the treaty. I have no plans to consult the industry about the provision of similar aid in United Kingdom.
In the absence so far of fuller details, it is not possible fully to assess the effect of the aid. However, the vast bulk of the aid does not appear to take the form of grant but of loans to assist with the servicing of existing loans. The rights of French vessels to fish in United Kingdom waters are unaffected by the aid package, as they are strictly controlled by annual quota allocations and the rules of the common fisheries policy.