HL Deb 18 December 1995 vol 567 cc124-5WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of the £262.54 million provided directly by the EC in 1993–95 for the Spanish fishing industry was contributed by the United Kingdom taxpayer, and over which years.

Lord Lucas

The figures of £262.54 million represents the sum of actual EC expenditure on certain fisheries grant schemes in Spain in 1993 and planned EC funding available to Spain under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance in 1994 and 1995. The UK's effective contribution to these grants would be about 5 per cent.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much Spain received in convergence and structural funds in 1994, how much will it receive in 1995, what proportion of each sum is to be spent on the Spanish fishing fleet, and how much was or is to be contributed by the United Kingdom taxpayer.

Lord Lucas

In 1994 Structural Funds payments of £2,162 million were made to Spain. Planned funding available to Spain for fisheries measures in 1994 under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance was £119.07 million, which represents 5.6 per cent. of the total Structural Fund payments to Spain. Figures for 1995 are not yet available.

Further details of the Structural Fund and Cohesion Fund payments can be found in the General Report on the Activities of the European Union 1994, copies of which can be found in the Library. It is estimated that the UK's effective contribution to funding provided by the EC to Spain is about 5 per cent.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the total compensation paid to Spanish fishermen as a result of the Moroccan fishing dispute, and what will the UK's share be of such compensation.

Lord Lucas

In October the Council of Ministers unanimously agreed that payments should be made to Spanish and Portuguese fishermen who had been unable to fish following the early termination of the EU/Morocco Fisheries Agreement at the end of April 1995. Under this decision, a total of 27.0 mecu (£23.0 million) could be made available for Spanish crews. The maximum cost to the Community budget amounts to 20.25 mecu (£17.3 million).

The Council had previously agreed that payments of up to 49.8 mecu (£42.4 million) would be permitted to Spanish boat owners affected by the dispute. The maximum cost of this measure to the Community budget is 36 mecu (£30.7 million).

The cost estimates are based on payments up to the end of December and are therefore likely to be reduced as a new agreement with Morocco came into effect as of 1 December. Final costs are not yet available.

The United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community Budget for both items will be around 5 per cent. after taking account of the Fontainebleau abatement.