HC Deb 14 January 1991 vol 183 cc388-9W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's role in collection of data which led to the closure of the North sea sole fishery in November.

Mr. Curry

The closure of the North sea sole fishery in November 1990 was due to a combination of factors. They included increased effort in the fishery, an increase in the size of fish caught as a result of earlier conservation measures, and increased landings abroad as well as a delay in some landing data appearing on Departments' central computers.