Fishermen (Redundancies) Mr. Austin Mitchell asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for compensation payments for British fishermen made redundant after 1 January. Mr. Buchanan-Smith I intend to consult the fishing industry before making decisions on the form of restructuring measures and the implications for the position of employed fishermen. Mr. Austin Mitchell asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions are made in the proposed common fisheries agreement for compensation or redundancy pay for British fishermen losing jobs after 1 January. Mr. Buchanan-Smith The resolution on financial measures agreed by nine of the European Community member States in the context of a revised common fisheries policy would permit subsidies for laying up vessels to be divided between the vessels' owners and their crews. It is envisaged that social problems in the fisheries sector would be covered in more general discussions of Community social measures and the existing European social fund mechanisms.----------------------------------------------------- |Internal and joint stocks | ----------------------------------------------------- |Cod IV | ----------------------------------------------------- |Saithe IIa (EC zone) IIIa, IIIb, c, d (EC zone), IV| ----------------------------------------------------- |Herring IVc, VIId | ----------------------------------------------------- |Capelin XIV, V (EC zone) | ----------------------------------------------------- Mr. Austin Mitchell asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he proposes to protect British fishing vessels fishing in Danish waters after 1 January. Mr. Buchanan-Smith British vessels are free to fish in Danish waters outside 12 miles, subject to conservation rules. I am not aware of any special need to protect our vessels in these waters. Mr. Austin Mitchell asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quotas he intends to enforce on Danish fishing vessels in British waters from 1 January. Mr. Buchanan-Smith An order will be laid before the House very shortly banning fishing by Danish vessels within United Kingodm fishery limits in all cases where the proposed Danish quota is zero. This covers the following stocks:ICES IIa, IVa and IVb Mackerel, herring IVc Mackerel Vb Cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, sole, mackerel, hake, herring, sandeel VI, VIIa, e, f, g Cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, sole, mackerel, hake, herring VIId Cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, sole, mackerel, hake VIIh, j Cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, mackerel, hake, herring VIII Cod, haddock, saithe, plaice, sole, mackerel, hake, anchovy In addition I stand ready to introduce further orders regulating Danish fishing when it is apparent that proposed Danish quotas for 1983 could be exceeded.