HC Deb 15 June 1994 vol 244 cc574-5W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many job offers were reported by staff in her Department under the requirements of the rules on the acceptance of outside appointments in each of the last 10 years by(a) staff of grade 3 and above, (b) staff below grade 3, (c) staff in sections concerned with procurement or contract work, under section 15 of the rules of 1 February 1993 and (d) staff in other sections, under section 14; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.

Mr. Jack

The table shows the number of job offers reported by staff in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in each of the last 10 years. All but one of these reports resulted in an application to join the company concerned.

possible changes to the licensing system, but these considerations need not delay progress on the decommissioning front.

We have always made it clear that we want the decommissioning scheme to provide real long-term benefits to the fishing industry. By enabling the pressure on fish stocks to be reduced the scheme can help fisheries conservation and improve fishing prospects for the future. But the scheme will not achieve this result if the remaining vessels increase their fishing effort and so undermine the impact of decommissioning. This would be unwelcome for both the fishing industry and for taxpayers who will want to see that the expenditure is effective and provides good value for money. So as decommissioning progresses we intend to monitor the fishing effort of the remaining fleet. If it increases, we shall have to take suitable effort control measures to deal with the situation. I hope the industry will collectively exercise restraint, and so make the use of such controls in the context of this scheme unnecessary.

The Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Scheme 1994 was laid before Parliament today. The rules of the scheme are broadly the same as under the 1993 decommissioning scheme, as I believe that the 1993 scheme was welcomed by most in the industry and successfully removed the maximum active capacity for the available funds. Vessel owners are invited to submit tenders for the amount of decommissioning grant for which they would be prepared to scrap their vessel and surrender its licence. Applications will be ranked in terms of pounds per vessel capacity unit. Eligibility criteria similar to those in the 1993 scheme will apply but the 1994 scheme will be focused on those vessels in respect of which full pressure stock licences have been issued. This means that decommissioning will remain widely accessible but will be targeted at those vessels fishing the stocks which are the most at risk.

To be eligible for decommissioning grant, vessels must meet the following main criteria:

  1. (a) The vessel must be registered in the UK, be over 10 m in overall length and over 10 years old at the date of application;
  2. (b) The vessel must have spent at least 100 days at sea on fishing trips in Community waters as a UK registered vessel during each of 1992 and 1993;
  3. (c) A current full pressure stock licence must be held in respect of the vessel;
  4. (d) The vessel must be seaworthy: vessels over 12 m in overall length must have either a valid Department of Transport safety certificate or a letter confirming the completion of a satisfactory survey at the time of application;
  5. (e) It must not have been approved for decommissioning under the 1993 scheme and then withdrawn;
  6. (f) Grants will be paid only when vessels are scrapped. The applicant must provide proof that the vessel has been removed from the register and has been scrapped within the European Community using a method approved by Ministers before any grant is paid;
  7. (g) An application for a grant must be approved before the vessel is scrapped or the vessel will not be eligible for grant;
  8. (h) Successful applicants must submit proof of scrapping and deregistration and surrender all licences in respect of the vessel before 1 March 1995; otherwise they lose their right to a decommissioning grant.

Application forms for decommissioning grants and the accompanying explanatory leaflets will be available in local fishery offices later this week. All fishermen who have expressed an interest or whose application was unsuccessful in the first round will be sent a leaflet and form. The deadline for receipt of applications is 15 August 1994.