§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when he expects his common fisheries policy review group to report to him; if he will publish their findings and submissions made to them in full; and if he will make a statement; [8402]
(2) when he expects to publish the findings of the common fisheries policy review group and his response to them; and if he will make a statement. [8388]
§ Mr. BaldryI expect the common fisheries policy review group to report in the spring. I will make public both its report and the Government's response to it. The submissions received by the group will also be made available.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with which part of the common fisheries policy relative stability and quota swaps conform; and what plans he has to balance them in the future negotiations with his EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement. [8405]
§ Mr. BaldryThe principle of relative stability is established under article 8(4) of the basic common fisheries policy regulation 3760/92. Quota swaps are permitted under article 9 of the same regulation. I have no plans to seek changes to either provision.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what advice his Department has given to other Government Departments on fish stocks and fish management to assist them in talks on EU enlargement with(a) the Baltic states, (b) former eastern bloc states and (c) other aspirant EU members; and if he will make a statement; [8395]
(2) what plans he has for the development of the United Kingdom fishing industry from 2002 onwards; and if he will make a statement; [8361]
(3) what assessment his Department has made as to how the common fisheries policy will have to be reformed to prepare for the accession of new member states to the EU; and if he will make a statement. [8379]
§ Mr. BaldryThe Ministry has advised on the importance of maintaining existing UK fishing opportunities in enlargement negotiations. Changes need to be made to the common fisheries policy whether or not the Community is enlarged. I shall continue to discuss454W with the industry what changes they would like to see in the period leading up to and at the review of the CFP in 2002.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the changes in the number of jobs in the fishing industry for each United Kingdom port for each year since the common fisheries policy began; and if he will make a statement. [8362]
§ Mr. BaldrySuch information as is available about the number of fishermen in UK ports over the period in question is published in tables 2.6 and 2.7 of "United Kingdom Sea Fisheries Statistics 1994" which is available in the Library. Information about jobs indirectly related to sea fishing is not available.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will commission a study into the benefits accruing to United Kingdom fishermen from Britain's participation in the common fisheries policy and what losses they have incurred by having United Kingdom fishing waters declared a common European resource; and if he will make a statement. [8364]
§ Mr. BaldryThe benefits to United Kingdom fishermen resulting from our participation in the common fisheries policy include: tighter restrictions than applied before we joined the Community in access by foreign vessels within our 12-mile fishery limits; a larger share of fish quotas in Community waters than was justified by our historic catch record in the 1973 to 1978 reference period used when quota shares were decided; fishing opportunities in the waters of non-member states secured through the Community's bilateral agreements with those countries; access to European Community grant schemes; a common policy on conservation rules enabling us to influence the rules applied in the waters of other member states to the benefit of our industry.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what interpretation his Department's officials make of open access by all member states to all waters when they are advising him and preparing for negotiations with the United Kingdom's partners on fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement; [8377]
(2) what estimate he has made of legal obstacles in the way of the Government beginning negotiations with the United Kingdom's EU partners to reform the common fisheries policy so that there is no common access to fish resources in all waters; what legal obstructions would prevent the United Kingdom leaving the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [8458]
§ Mr. BaldryThe Council of Ministers can decide by qualified majority on the basis of a proposal from the European Commission that there shall be no common access to fish resources in all waters. This, indeed, is the current arrangement.
I explained to the House on 22 November Official Report, column 591 The steps that would be necessary for the United Kingdom to leave the common fisheries policy.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the policy of his EU counterparts to reform the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [8389]
455W
§ Mr. BaldryI shall discuss improvements to the common fisheries policy with my counterparts in other member states once I have considered the conclusions of the CFP review group.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to reduce the bureaucratic requirements placed on the fishing industry in respect of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [8369]
§ Mr. BaldryIt is the Ministry's policy to keep to the minimum the burdens which the common fisheries policy places on the industry. A close dialogue is maintained with the industry and we welcome constructive proposals for deregulation in the fisheries sector.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what talks he has had recently and expects to have in the next three months with the EU Fisheries Commissioner on the state of(a) the British fishing industry, (b) the future of the common fisheries policy and (c) relative stability in the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement. [8373]
§ Mr. BaldryBoth before and during the Fisheries Council on 21–22 December 1995 I spoke to Mrs. Bonino about the state of the British fishing industry and the future of the common fisheries policy. I plan to have further discussions with her in March.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to consult hon. Members representing fisheries and the fishing industry before proceeding further towards reform of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [8376]
§ Mr. BaldryI will welcome the views of any hon. Member on ways of improving the common fisheries policy.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on interpreting the "common resource open to all" basis of the common fisheries policy in respect of Spanish and Portuguese fishing vessels in former British waters(a) where there is historic evidence of their fleets fishing and (b) where there is no evidence of their fleets fishing; and if he will make a statement. [8378]
§ Mr. BaldrySpanish and Portuguese fishing vessels have no access within the United Kingdom's 12-mile limits. Within our 200 mile limits, they are also excluded from the North sea, the Irish sea and the Bristol channel. These exclusions are based on historic fishing patterns.
§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what circumstances he will bring forward to his EU counterparts a scheme to abandon the common fisheries policy altogether and reinstate sovereign waters with bilateral arrangements for fish management; and if he will make a statement. [8993]
§ Mr. BaldryProposing to scrap the common fisheries policy altogether is not a realistic option.