§ Mr. Jim Spicerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what vessels and aircraft are available for fishery protection in the Atlantic at present; and what reinforcement is planned from 1st January 1977.
§ Mr. DuffyWithin the present 12-mile fishing limit, fishery protection in the Celtic Sea off the South-West of England is carried out by the ships of the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron; off the West Coast of Scotland it is mainly carried out by the fishery protection fleet operated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. These forces are assisted by a Royal Navy Sea Devon aircraft regularly and by other Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft as occasion demands.
For future offshore tasks, including fishery protection within extended fishing limits, we are providing five new Royal Navy ships of the Island class and four Royal Air Force Nimrod surveillance aircraft. The first of the Island class of ships is already operational and the remainder will enter service during 1977; the Royal Air Force aircraft will be allocated from 1st January 1977. Other resources of the Armed Forces will be made available as required.