§ 77. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the North Sea Drilling Company has undertaken to drill for gas and other elements in the fishing grounds of the North Sea; whether he will consult British scientists and other nations accustomed to using those fishing grounds about this matter; and if he will make a statement on the location and effect on the fishing industry of this proposed drilling.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsI have no information about this company. We are of course aware of the possibility of drilling in the North Sea but so far only surveys have been made.
My Department, the Scottish Office and the Ministry of Power, will of course, keep in close touch about the fishing industry, after taking the appropriate scientific advice.
§ 78. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken, either alone or in conjunction with other nations, to develop and increase by breeding schemes or otherwise the potentialities of the fishing grounds of the North Sea.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsThe conservation measures that we and other North Sea countries have adopted for some years are aimed at improving the potentialities of the fishing grounds. It is far too early to say whether the pilot scale experiment in artificial breeding of plaice at Port Erin will be successful or could eventually lead to an increase in stocks in the North Sea.