Mr. W. H. K. Bakerasked the Minister of State for Defence which ships are employed wholly or partly on fishing protection duties in Scottish waters in support of the fishing protection squadron employed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.
§ Mr. KirkOne ship is nominated under Section 9 of the Herring Fishery Act, 1815 to assist the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. Although, in practice, all six minecountermeasures vessels of the R.N. Fishery Protection Squadron carry out patrols in Scottish waters, the equivalent of one vessel is deployed there full time.
From time to time this effort is supplemented by frigates of the Western Fleet on their way to and from the distant fishing grounds.