§
Mr. Jack
[holding answer 19 June 1995]: As explained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) on 6 June, Official Report, column 6, changes have taken place in the way these subsidies are provided. Prior to 1994, European aid to the fishing industry was financed under a variety of different sections of the EC budget and it is not possible to identify separately all the expenditure relating to fishing. If comparable figures are extracted from the same EC sources as my earlier reply then the statistics for UK would be as set out in table 1. However, we have more detailed information from departmental records for decommissioning of vessels, promotion activities, marketing and processing, vessel grants, market support—calender year—and aid to sea fisheries committees for enforcement and this is set out in the upper part of table 2. From 1994 onwards, the financial instrument for fisheries guidance came into force, amalgamating the various fisheries structures and marketing and processing regulations. The figures in the lower part of table 2 shown the amount of Community funding available for the investment set out in the relevant UK programmes for objective 1, 5(a) and PESCA. They include measures for the benefit of aquaculture. An additional £2.4 million1995–96—and £2.2 million—1996–97 and 1997–98—is forecast for sea fisheries committee enforcement, and market support measures.
| Table 1: Elements of European Community financial assistance to the UK fishing industry |
| Calendar year |
MECU |
£ million |
| 19921 |
7.7 |
6.5 |
| 19931 |
2.3 |
1.9 |
| 19942 |
20.61 |
17.3 |
| 1995 |
20.60 |
17.3 |
| 1996 |
20.62 |
17.3 |
| 1997 |
20.61 |
17.3 |
| 1998 |
20.63 |
17.3 |
| Table 2 |
| Financial/Calendar Year |
Mecu |
£ million |
| 1992–933 |
47.35 |
6.18 |
| 1993–943 |
413.98 |
11.76 |
| 1994–955 |
413.97 |
11.75 |
530W
| Table 2 |
| Financial/Calendar Year |
Mecu |
£ million |
| 19942 |
20.61 |
17.23 |
| 19956 |
25.67 |
21.46 |
| 1996 |
28.29 |
23.65 |
| 1997 |
29.29 |
24.49 |
| 1998 |
28.12 |
23.51 |
| 1 Figures taken from European Court of Auditor's Annual Reports copies of which are in the House Libraries. |
| 2 Figures from 1994 onwards include expenditure plans which are contained in the UK sectoral plan 1994–1999 for objective 5(a)`Fisheries', copies of which are in the House Libraries. |
| 3 Excludes promotion, and the marketing and processing awards under EC regulation 355/77, the majority of which were paid prior to 1994 and financed under the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guidance section (Agriculture). |
| 4 Approximate conversion rate. |
| 5 Includes estimated figures for reimbursement for decommissioning. |
| 6 Figures from 1995 onwards include expenditure plans for the PESCA initiative for fish diversification projects which are contained within the UK operational programme 1995–1999 as submitted to Brussels for approval. |