§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the oral statement by the Parliamentary Secretary (Commons) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 8 March 1999,Official Report, columns 151–54, on claims for compensation by deep sea trawlermen, if he will (a) agree a date to meet the trawlermen and their representatives and (b) set out a timetable for the resolution of the claim. [76927]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 15 March 1999]: As my hon. Friend indicated during this debate, the obligations of the Department of Trade and Industry, and formerly the Employment Department, relate to the former trawlermen's redundancy entitlement under the statutory redundancy payments scheme. These obligations were fully met under ex-gratia arrangements operated by the Redundancy Payments Service between 1993 and 1995. My officials remain ready to consider late claims under those arrangements in appropriate cases. I have received no requests from the former trawlermen or their representatives for a further meeting to discuss their redundancy entitlement.
The former trawlermen's campaign for a more general scheme of Government compensation for the decline in their industry, going beyond their redundancy entitlement, 704W is principally a matter for my hon. Friend to consider, as policy responsibility for the fishing industry lies with the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.