§ Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to the Minister of State's statement in the House, Official Report, 31 October, column 1245, if he will give details of the number of meetings which have taken place to date of the high level group of officials set up to consider the state of fish stocks and the EEC Commission's proposals for their future management, where the meetings were held; who represented Her Majesty's Government; what Commission proposals they have considered; and if he will make a statement on progress.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithTwo meetings of the high level group have taken place in Brussels on 19 and 26 November when the United Kingdom was represented by officials from my department and from the Scottish Office.
The group was presented by the Commission with three new working documents on fishing management objectives, on 1980 total allowable catches and on measures for the technical conservation of fish stocks. Some limited progress was made in the group. A report from the high level group was placed before the Council on 3 December. There was no discussion in detail of this report, and the Council agreed to return to it at its next meeting on 28 January.