HC Deb 05 December 1977 vol 940 cc586-7W
Mr. Corbett

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will list the grants and other financial assistance available to those wishing to commence and to expand fish farming, respectively; and whether he will make a statement on the Government's attitude towards the expansion of commercial fish farming activities;

(2) whether he will list the advice provided by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service and the Ministry available to those engaged in commercial fish farming.

Mr. Bishop

Selective assistance is available under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 and under the farm and horticulture development scheme. Specialist advice, particularly on disease, breeding and nutritional questions, is available from the Ministry's Fisheries Laboratories, and advice on disease matters is given by the regional veterinary investigation centres. In addition, regional socio-economic advisers of ADAS are able to assist farmers considering fish farming as a new enterprise.

The Government's attitude to fish farming has been made clear on a number of occasions. We regard it as a useful wealth creating activity and assist it principally by a very substantial programme of research and development.

Mr. Corbett

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report details of the expansion of facilities to undertake additional research into fish farming at the Fisheries Research Laboratory, Lowestoft, in early 1978, together with an estimate of the capital and annual revenue cost of this expansion.

Mr. Bishop

The new facilities will consist of an installation to provide a disease-free area supplied with fresh water in which will be installed a series of tanks for cultivation and ongrowing of fresh and salt water fish. The site area is eight acres. The capital cost is estimated at this preliminary stage at £130,000, although additional expenditure may arise in landscaping. No net additional annual revenue costs are expected because of savings through rationalisation of resources currently deployed elsewhere.