PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
SAFETY OF FISHING VESSELS (25 May 1999)

That this House, concerned at the dangers created by the increasing age of many of Britain's fishing ports and the need to invest in both ports and processing to keep the fishing industry competitive, calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to withdraw the proposals he announced on 21st May to end the limited funding made available by his Department for safety improvements on board fishing vessels and for harbour grants and processing grants; endorses the Deputy Prime Minister's strong concern over the high casualty rate in fishing and the need for more effective safety; warns that not only will this be made worse if safety grants are not available, but that the under 12 metre vessels are very unlikely to accept a new safety regime without them; and points out that the industry needs more generous safety and port grants on the scale paid to its European competitors, not the abolition of this important stimulus to modernisation.

Sponsored by:
Austin Mitchell (Labour)