§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the European Community Commission has been notified of the Government's intention to introduce a new scheme of aid for the fishing industry.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Government's proposals are being notified to the Commission today under the provisions of article 93(3) of the Treaty of Rome. In a telex received on 16 November the Commission has taken note of my statement to the House on 27 October and pointed formally to our obligations under article 93(3) of the Treaty.
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the £15 million aid to the fishing industry which he announced on 27 October will be distributed.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI have today laid before Parliament the Fishing Vessels (Temporary Financial Assistance) Scheme 1982, which provides for payments to owners of fishing vessels registered in the United Kingdom. Applications under the scheme will be accepted from tomorrow and payments will be made as soon as possible. The scheme is on broadly similar lines to the Fishing Vessel Temporary Support Scheme 1981, but with the additional condition of payment that 75 per cent. of a vessel's crew were ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom on 27 October.
The proposed rate of payment for each eligible vessel will be according to the following scale:
Registered length of vessel (feet) Payment (£) Under 25' 230 25' and over but less than 35' 360 35' and over but less than 40' 650 40' and over but less than 45' 1,560 45' and over but less than 50' 1,890 50' and over but less than 55' 3,120 55' and over but less than 60' 4,360 60' and over but less than 65' 6,360 65' and over but less than 70' 8,640 70' and over but less than 75' 10,380 75' and over but less than 80' 12,120 80' and over but less than 90' 13,260 90' and over but less than 100' 13,860 100' and over but less than 110' 15,600 110' and over but less than 120' 16,740 120' and over but less than 130' 19,080 130' and over but less than 140' 21,900 140' and over but less than 190' 28,800 Over 190' 32,280
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether vessels based in the United Kingdom 174W but registered in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man will receive payments under the £15 million aid scheme he has announced for the fishing industry.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerOwners of certain vessels based in the United Kingdom but registered in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man were eligible for payments along with United Kingdom registered vessels under the Fishing Vessel Temporary Support Scheme 1981. The Government have decided that it would be appropriate to make payments under the Fishing Vessels (Temporary Financial Assistance) Scheme 1982 to owners of fishing vessels which as at 27 October 1982 were registered in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man but which were based in the United Kingdom throughout such part of the period between 1 March and 27 October as they were in the applicant's ownership. Other conditions of eligibility for these vessels will be the same as those applicable to United Kingdom registered vessels under the Fishing Vessels (Temporary Financial Assistance) Scheme 1982.
In the absence of specific enabling legislation payments in respect of these vessels will be made on an extra statutory basis. As I announced on 28 October—[Vol. 29, c. 510–11.]—pending approval of Supplementary Estimates, necessary urgent expenditure on the scheme will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund and such advances will include expenditure in respect of vessels registered in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
Applicants in respect of vessels registered in these islands will be notified that the Government do not envisage that it will be appropriate to make similar exceptional arrangements in respect of future use of the powers to give financial assistance to the fishing industry.