§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the possibility of introducing charges on the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement. [43021]
§ Mr. MorleyThe question as to whether the fishing industry might contribute to the costs of decommissioning was raised by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at our first High Level meeting with industry leaders last July. I also indicated to the House on 17 December 1997,Official Report, column 346, that it would be included in the possibilities considered in the current comprehensive spending review. As a contribution to continuing discussion of this issue, I am now placing in the Library of the House copies of a recently completed academic report by the University of Portsmouth which the Department commissioned towards the end of last year.