§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress made so far on the consultation process he announced following the loss of the fishing vessel Sapphire; when this consultation began; how many officials in his Department have been involved in the consultation process; which organisations have been contacted; and when he expects the findings to be announced. [27533]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 5 February 1998]The Consultation document which we propose to publish will address many complex issues and it is necessary to have the input of a number of Government Departments beforehand to ensure that it is as comprehensive as possible and correctly addresses all the relevant issues.
This process is naturally taking some time and consequently I am not as yet in a position to be able to inform the hon. Member when the paper will be published or the findings of the consultation announced.