Chamber and committees

The review of the Common Fisheries Policy is due to be completed by 2002. The first round of consultations between the European Commission, member states and the fishing industry was completed last year. We expect to see the Commission's response to this exercise shortly at which time we will review developments with the industry. We are in broad agreement with the priorities expressed by the industry, which include a greater regional dimension to the CFP, and the maintenance of six and 12 mile coastal water limits and the principle of relative stability. Other issues, such as reduction in discarding of catches and the integration of environmental factors within fisheries policies, will also feature within the CFP review.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the future of RAF Buchan. The Ministry of Defence is expected to make a decision in the spring.

Scottish Executive officials were present at all the technical discussions with the French on the Date Based Export Scheme and aimed at encouraging the French to comply with their obligations in respect of this Scheme under EU legislation.

The Scottish Executive became aware of the views expressed by the French Prime Minister on his apparent preference for a UK herd-based export scheme, which might include Scottish herds such as Aberdeen Angus, through press reports immediately following his reported remarks. The Executive was aware, however, of the general French view in favour of herd-based arrangements through the clarification discussions between the UK, France and EU Commission on the Date Based Export Scheme. Scottish Executive officials were involved throughout these discussions.

The French Prime Minister's comments on a UK herd-based export scheme, which might have included Scottish herds, were never translated into a formal offer and were in any event unrealistic because they were at odds with the negotiated arrangements for lifting the ban, and also with the underlying Florence Agreement framework.Accordingly, the French Prime Minister's views were not considered in the technical discussions with the French on the Date Based Export Scheme.

Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for each Member State are set each year by the Council of Ministers. The figures for 1999 appear in the Official Journal of the European Commission, L13, volume 42, of 18 January 1999.

TACs for the United Kingdom are allocated to Producer Organisations (POs) and other groups of fishermen, and POs are responsible for managing quotas on behalf of their members. Some vessels in Scottish POs are registered elsewhere in the UK, and some in other POs are registered in Scotland. Information on how POs manage quota during the year is not held centrally and therefore it is not possible to specify the proportion of TACs allocated to Scottish registered and owned vessels.However, landings of all species by Scottish registered vessels in 1998 amounted to 73 per cent by weight and nearly 63 per cent by value of landings by all UK vessels in that year. Further details are available in Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics, 1998.

I refer Mr Lochhead to previous answers given to him on this matter (24 June and 3 November). It would have been inappropriate for the Scottish Executive to introduce a safety scheme while consideration was being given by the UK Government to re-instatement of the previous arrangements. Following confirmation in November 1999 that the UK Government will not re-introduce the UK-wide scheme, the Executive has acted promptly to propose Scottish measures.In any event, resources for the FIFG programme ending 31 December 1999 are fully committed in Scotland and would not have been available to support a safety scheme.

There is likely to be a small increase in the Department's staff over the next 12 months, mainly to handle the more complex support regime being introduced by the European Union under Agenda 2000, but the precise numbers involved are not yet clear.

I have already discussed the Petitions with the National Farmers' Union of Scotland. They are aware that it is difficult to resolve some of the matters highlighted, but I have undertaken to look seriously at the issues and, where appropriate, also to raise the issues with my Ministerial counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Article 12.5 of the draft has now been included in the final regulation.