Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 3 Tachwedd 1965.
Mr Patrick Wall
, Haltemprice
12:00,
3 Tachwedd 1965
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the present position on building subsidies for distant-water trawlers.
Mr James Johnson
, Kingston upon Hull West
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the manner in which he will allocate the £800,000 now provided as grant to the distant-water section of the trawling fleet.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
A sum of £1·6 million has been allocated for grants for fishing vessels to the end of the financial year 1966–67. Of this sum, approximately £860,000 will be available for the trawler fleet as a whole. The distribution of this total will, of course, depend on the approval of individual applications.
Mr Patrick Wall
, Haltemprice
Would the Minister agree that the sum is totally inadequate? Would he also agree that the White Fish Authority is bogged down by building grants and, as a result, owners are not able to carry on with forward planning? Can the right hon. Gentleman say how much of the sum which he mentioned is as yet unused?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I cannot do that. I do not believe that the sum is inadequate. I think that the balance is right. It is often difficult to make comparisons with the past, but I think that what we have done is reasonable.
Mr James Johnson
, Kingston upon Hull West
Is my right hon. Friend aware that applications for new vessels total a little over £2 million and that we in West Hull, the capital of the deep sea fishing industry, thank him for a wise decision? We can plan ahead now until 1970.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I thank my hon. Friend very much.
Mr Joseph Godber
, Grantham
There has been very considerable delay in this matter, whatever feelings there are about the figures—and I share the feelings of my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall). The owners are very concerned and they need to carry out long-term planning in this sort of industry. Cannot the right hon. Gentleman ensure that they are made more clearly aware of exactly where they stand in regard to the grants?
Mr Patrick Wall
, Haltemprice
In view of the unsatisfactory reply to the Question, I beg to give notice that I will try to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
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