asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effect on the Scottish fishing industry of the Irish Government's decision to impose a ban on all vessels longer than 110 feet fishing within 50 miles of their shores.
The direct effect of such a measure on Scottish vessels would probably be slight, since there has in the past been little fishing by Scottish vessels of this size in the waters concerned. There might, however, be an indirect effect on Scottish fishing if there were to be resultant diversion of effort to United Kingdom waters. Proposals for an alternative solution to the difficulties which this Irish national measure is designed to resolve are under consideration.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he has made in securing an exclusive limit to protect the Scottish fishing industry.
The EEC Commission is expected to produce definitive proposals on the internal common fisheries policy shortly. We have meantime made it clear within the Community that we would not be able to accept any proposals which did not adequately recognise the importance which we attach to the question of coastal belts.
| District Council | Number of referrals | Number where offer made by Building Society | Number where offer declined by applicant | Number refused by Building Society | Number where applicant withdrew application | |
| Caithness | … | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Ross and Cromarty | … | 6 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Kincardine and Deeside | … | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| Moray | … | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Perth and Kinross | … | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| Dunfermline | … | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Kirkcaldy | … | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| North East Fife | … | 9 | — | — | 2 | — |
| Edinburgh City | … | 141 | 71 | 5 | 47 | 23 |
| East Lothian | … | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| West Lothian | … | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Clackmannan | … | 12 | 2 | — | 4 | — |
| Falkirk | … | 96 | 3 | — | 1 | — |
| Stirling | … | 13 | — | — | 8 | 2 |
| Argyll and Bute | … | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Bearsden and Milngavie | … | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Dumbarton | … | 6 | 12* | 1 | 2 | — |
| Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | … | 8 | — | — | 2 | — |
| East Kilbride | … | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Glasgow City | … | 71 | 17 | 2 | 43 | 11 |
| Hamilton | … | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| Inverclyde | … | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Kyle and Carrick | … | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Lanark | … | 20 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Monklands | … | 10 | 6 | — | 4 | — |
| Motherwell | … | 9 | 10* | 1 | — | 1 |
| Renfrew | … | 123 | 101 | 3 | 20 | 3 |
| Shetland | … | 7 | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Western Isles | … | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| TOTAL | … | 562 | 256 | 15 | 140 | 41 |
| * Some offers relate to referrals made before 1st November 1976. | ||||||