§ Mr. Alan JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 December 1997,Official Report, column 171, concerning intelligence gathered by trawlers (a) how many trawlers were used and from which ports (b) when this practice eased and (c) what financial arrangements were made to recompense the officers and crew used in such activities. [20355]
§ Dr. ReidThree trawlers were used for specific intelligence gathering operations against the former Soviet Navy in the mid 1960s and early 1970s. These operations ceased in 1973. All of the vessels were owned by a Hull based company and almost certainly operated from that port. For those operations conducted in the 1960s, the owner was guaranteed compensation for loss of catch resulting from any diversion from the trawler's usual fishing grounds. Available records do not indicate whether similar arrangement existed for those carried out in the 1970s.