HC Deb 25 April 1986 vol 96 cc265-6W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Paymaster General if he will seek to convene a meeting of fishing vessel owners and employees with a view to agreeing on a decasualisation scheme for the fishing industry.

Table 1 Self employed people*—regional analysis
Thousand
Region 1975 1977 1979 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
South East M 522 498 544 568 567 567 647 686
F 126 116 107 132 148 163 211 216
T 648 614 651 700 715 730 858 903
East Anglia M 63 56 64 71 71 72 83 84
F 15 17 15 16 19 22 26 29
T 78 73 79 87 90 94 109 113
South West M 149 128 111 180 170 161 171 190
F 31 30 35 47 50 52 62 62
T 180 158 146 227 220 213 233 252
West Midlands M 135 125 124 136 137 137 151 149
F 29 32 17 34 37 40 36 37
T 164 157 141 170 174 177 187 185
East Midlands M 106 92 99 114 121 127 129 129
F 27 19 17 30 30 30 38 28
T 133 111 116 144 151 157 166 157
Yorkshire and Humberside M 129 126 107 128 129 130 159 163
F 35 34 27 36 38 39 44 60
T 164 160 134 164 167 169 203 223
North West M 157 147 161 166 165 163 183 187

Mr. Trippier

I do not believe it would be helpful to do so. There is no indication that the two sides of the industry are prepared to agree such a scheme.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Paymaster General what is his estimate of the number of trawlermen made redundant in each of the years 1976 to 1984, the average earnings of trawlermen in each of those years, the number of employed trawlermen in each year and the amount paid into the redundancy fund in each of those years on behalf of employed trawlermen.

Mr. Trippier

I regret that the information requested is not available: the various statistics referred to do not distinguish sufficiently between trawlermen and other employees.