§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the fishing vessels St. Benedict, St. Jerome and St. Jasper were decommissioned; how much was paid by his Department for each; to what(a) company and (b) liquidator; and who owned the vessels at the time they were decommissioned. [29568]
§ Mr. BaldryThe fishing vessels (financial assistance) scheme 1983 provided for the payment of decommissioning grant in respect of vessels which were either scrapped, exported for fishing outside Community waters or assigned permanently to another use.
In the case of the St. Benedict, the St. Jerome and the St. Jasper, the applicant was Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. The St. Benedict was sold for the purpose of fishing outside Community waters. The St. Jerome and the St. Jasper were permanently assigned to other uses. Once the conditions had been met in respect of the three vessels, payment was made to Mr. W. F. Ratford, joint receiver of Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. The table sets out the other information required.
Vessels Amount £ Date of decommissioning Owner at the time of decommissioning St. Benedict 581,504 17 February 1984 Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership) St. Jerome 515,280 2 October 19841 Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership) St. Jasper 51,484 6 August 1984 Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership) 1 Vessel sold for alternative use on 2 October 1984, but not removed from the fishing vessel register until 19 November 1984. It is not now possible to determine the reasons for this discrepancy.