Salmon (Hansard, 19 January 1988)

§ Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will describe the formula used to assess those rating values which are based upon the annual statistical returns on Scottish salmon and sea trout catches.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
Determination of rateable values is the statutory responsibility of assessors who operate independently of central and local government and who must be prepared to justify the valuations they make before the courts. Information about individual valuations is not held centrally.

§ Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to check the accuracy in the annual statistical returns on Scottish salmon and sea trout catches prior to their being used to assess future rating values; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
Forms are checked to ensure that relevant parts have been completed and that there are no inconsistencies in the entries, for example between numbers and weights of fish reported as caught. As the statistics are published by salmon fishery region and statistical district it is unlikely that the information could be used by assessors to assist in the determination of the rateable value of individual fisheries.

§ Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any information which might explain the annual variations in statistical returns on salmon catches over the past five years in the Scottish salmon fishery statistical districts of(a) the Isle of Lewis, (b) Harris and (c) the Uists; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
The information available to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is not sufficient to give specific reasons for the variations in the salmon catches for the salmon fishery statistical districts specified. Fluctuations in reported annual salmon catches can occur for a number of reasons. These include variations in the abundance of salmon, salmon runs not conforming with the fishing seasons, variations in the fishing effort throughout the fishing season or from one fishing season to another, changes in climatic conditions and variations in completeness of reported catch statistics.