§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of prosecutions which have occured in each of the past five years as a result of salmon proprietors(a) failing to provide his Department with statistical returns or (b) being found to have made fraudulent returns.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 14 January 1988]: There have been no such prosecutions.
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1984 1985 1986 Statistical District Number of Forms Number of Forms Number of Forms Sent Returned Sent Returned Sent Returned Tweed 138 136 136 128 135 127 Forth 70 61 64 50 66 58 Tay 150 136 149 133 151 146 South Esk 26 23 24 20 24 23 North Esk and Bervie 21 20 21 20 21 21 Dee (Aberdeen) 73 69 70 64 68 66 Don 49 46 46 41 48 45 Ythan 21 21 20 20 21 21 Ugie 13 13 12 11 12 9 Deveron 53 52 50 46 49 47 Spey 63 61 61 55 61 60 Lossie 6 6 5 4 5 4 Findhorn 22 22 21 20 21 21 Nairn 28 28 28 25 28 27 Ness 33 32 31 29 32 32 Beauly 11 11 10 10 11 11 Conon and Alness 31 27 30 26 32 32 Kyle of Sutherland 29 28 26 22 25 22 Fleet and Brora 4 4 4 4 4 4 Helmsdale 6 4 6 1 1 1 Berriedale to Wick 10 10 7 5 9 6 Thurso and Forss 12 9 11 9 11 10 Halladale and Strathy 7 7 7 7 6 5 Naver and Kinloch 9 8 9 9 9 8 Hope and Grudie 7 7 7 7 7 6 Inchard to Kirkaig 12 11 12 12 11 11 Kennart to Gruinard 16 15 15 14 14 12 Ewe 8 8 8 7 8 7 Badachro to Applecross 7 6 6 4 6 5 Kishorn and Carron 8 7 7 5 8 7 Loch Long and Croe 14 12 13 11 13 13 Glenelg to Kinchoan 6 6 8 6 8 8 Morar to Shiel 17 15 17 15 17 15 Skye and Small Isles 25 23 25 21 24 21 Sunart and Aline 8 8 5 5 6 5 Sanda to Creran 38 33 36 29 35 31 Awe and Nell 63 58 58 48 55 50 Add and Ormsary 30 28 27 25 33 30 Island of Mull 36 34 35 28 35 31 Islay and Jura 9 9 10 10 11 10 Carradale and Iorsa 14 12 14 11 14 12 Fyne 20 19 16 12 17 14 Ruel and Drummachloy 5 5 5 5 5 5 Echaig 10 9 9 7 12 12 Clyde 13 12 13 11 14 12 Irvine 7 7 7 7 7 7 Ayr 37 31 37 33 37 37 Doon 30 28 29 27 29 24 Girvan 24 21 24 21 24 23 Stinchar 41 37 38 33 37 32 Luce 5 5 5 4 6 6 Bladenoch 19 18 18 16 19 19 Cree and Fleet 30 30 30 25 30 29 Dee (Kirkcudbright) 28 25 26 23 27 24 Urr 24 23 24 20 28 25 Nith 56 47 52 42 54 48
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give, by district salmon board area, how many riparian proprietors, upper and lower, were required to complete returns for the compilation of Scottish salmon and sea trout statistics in each of the past five years; and how many have complied.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 14 January]: Information related to salmon catch statistics is published by region and statistical district. The number of proprietors and occupiers of salmon fisheries, upper and lower together, who were sent statistical forms and made returns for 1984, 1985 and 1986 are given by statistical district in the following table. Accurate information for earlier years is not available.
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1984 1985 1986 Statistical District Number of Forms Number of Forms Number of Forms Sent Returned Sent Returned Sent Returned Annan 126 120 111 87 39 36 Isle of Lewis 15 13 14 13 17 14 Harris 9 8 9 7 9 9 The Uists 5 5 5 5 5 5 Orkney — — 1 1 1 1 Shetland — — 10 4 10 7 Totals 1,707 1,589 1,634 1,420 1,582 1,469
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that future statistical bulletins on Scottish salmon and sea trout catches published by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, contains full information about the levels of non-reporting, and the identity of those responsible for it.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 14 January 1988]: Consideration is already being given to including some indication about levels of reporting in future statistical bulletins. It is not intended that the identity of those who have not made returns will be published.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the procedures used by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland to check the accuracy of catch returns provided by Scottish salmon proprietors, prior to the publication of total reported figures.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 14 January 1988]: The 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. Any omissions or inconsistencies would be pursued with the proprietor or occupier of the fishery as would any large discrepancy noted between a return and returns for earlier years.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the salmon proprietors, upper and lower, who have failed to make returns of the numbers and weight of fish caught in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 14 January 1988]: No.