§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food (1) if she will make it her policy to revoke fishing licences on British-registered vessels if sufficient evidence is presented of extensive breaches of regulations from investigations carried out in other states;
(2) how many fishing vessels on the British register have had their licences revoked because of breaches of regulations which resulted in successful prosecutions in the United Kingdom;
737W(3) in what circumstances fishing vessel licences are revoked for breaches of regulations following successful prosecution in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 23 July 1993]: Powers to revoke or suspend fishing licences following breaches of licence conditions are set out in section 4(9)(b) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967, as amended, but have not yet been exercised.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when she will be raising with the European Commission and the Spanish Government the subject of undersize fish caught in the British quota and landed in Spanish ports;
(2) what action she intends to take to protect and conserve undersize fish in British waters from British registered vessels that land their catch in Spanish ports.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 23 July 1993]: Any vessel retaining on board or landing undersize fish is breaching the rules of the common fisheries policy. I am raising this matter with the EC Fisheries Commissioner, Mr. Y. Paleokrassas and will be sending him a copy of the video tape of the recent "Cook Report" programme highlighting the problem of illegal fishing activity.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the names of current British-flagged fishing vessels which were formerly Spanish registered or owned by Spanish individuals or companies prior to their British registry; and when they were entered on the British register, their port of registration and their tonnage, length and horsepower.
§ Mr. Steven NorrisI am sending relevant extracts from the register of fishing vessels to the hon. Member and will place copies in the Library.