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As I think is now well known, that decision was taken by the Commission's standing veterinary committee with very little notice to the United Kingdom Government before the meeting and with no preliminary bilateral contact such as we might reasonably have expected. The action was taken following a complaint by the Belgian authorities, which claimed to have detected a high incidence of PSP in two batches of scallops imported from Scotland and originating, so far as we are aware, from Orkney. It is the case that PSP, although mainly a summer phenomenon, was continuing to be detected in certain Orkney crabs, and the fishing and sale of green and velvet crabs in certain Orkney waters is still banned, under the United Kingdom's own long-standing arrangements.

I emphasise that the Government have well-established arrangements, which we think are fully adequate, for sampling shellfish species and keeping these off the market where there is a PSP problem. Those arrangements, which operate during the appropriate time of the year, involve regular sampling from 46 sites in Scottish waters, with intensified sampling then being triggered as soon as low levels of PSP are detected. Those arrangements, as hon. Members from Scottish coastal constituencies will be aware, have led to numerous closures of fisheries in the last two summers.

The Commission has sought to explain the decision taken last Thursday on the grounds that individual member states would otherwise have taken unilateral measures which might have disadvantaged our industry more. It also felt under an obligation to act quickly, in the light of the alleged threat to public health, but it is clearly unsatisfactory that such an important industry and confidence in it should be put at risk by such sudden action, without proper consultation with the United Kingdom first and indeed without any consultation at all in this case. Apart from the lack of consultation, a ban or an apparent ban arising from an alleged problem concerning only scallops and only waters around Orkney, but extending to all shellfish species and all Scottish waters, was clearly absurdly disproportionate.

My noble Friend Lord Strathclyde has made clear our dissatisfaction at this turn of events and on his instructions officials met Commission representatives in Brussels on Monday, when I am very glad to say that the matter was satisfactorily resolved. The Commission, having heard the details of our monitoring procedures, was satisfied as to their adequacy, and the export of Scottish shellfish can now proceed as before, on the basis of the existing United Kingdom arrangements.

We are naturally instituting further sampling to make sure that there is no problem, but there is no sign of it, and I should say that samples from Orkney tested in Aberdeen last weekend, in the light of the Belgian complaint and with the tests being carried out according to what we understood to be Belgian testing methods, produced nothing like the results alleged by the Belgian Government. We have, however, offered to have bilateral contracts with the Belgians to ensure that we understand their worries fully and take them properly into account in future sampling and testing. A central problem for the fishing industry is that it harvests a renewable--but also exhaustible--natural resource. The industry has to be regulated, and, not least because of its fragmented nature, it cannot do that itself. It is then hardly surprising that, particularly given the

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present state of stocks, the industry and Government find it hard to agree on the right balance to be struck between the industry's short-term needs and its long-term interests.

The Government want the industry to survive and to have a healthy and secure future. We do not want a one-generation industry. We have to remember that many fishing communities are relatively isolated and highly dependent on fish-related employment. They could not readily adapt to an economy without the fishing industry. My hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) and my noble Friend Lord Strathclyde will be fighting strongly for the United Kingdom's interests next week, and will be aiming to secure the best available deal for our industry. But they will also be looking for the right deal that will provide the industry with its livelihood for next year, while also contributing to the stabilising and rebuilding of fish stocks.

Question put, That the amendment be made :--

The House divided : Ayes 136, Noes 186.

Division No. 25] [10.40 pm

AYES

Adams, Mrs Irene (Paisley, N.)

Barnes, Harry (Derbyshire NE)

Battle, John

Beckett, Margaret

Beith, A. J.

Bellotti, David

Benton, Joseph

Bermingham, Gerald

Blunkett, David

Boyes, Roland

Bradley, Keith

Bray, Dr Jeremy

Brown, Gordon (D'mline E)

Brown, Nicholas (Newcastle E)

Bruce, Malcolm (Gordon)

Caborn, Richard

Callaghan, Jim

Campbell, Menzies (Fife NE)

Carlile, Alex (Mont'g)

Carr, Michael

Clark, Dr David (S Shields)

Clelland, David

Cox, Tom

Cryer, Bob

Dalyell, Tam

Darling, Alistair

Davies, Ron (Caerphilly)

Davis, Terry (B'ham Hodge H'l)

Dewar, Donald

Dixon, Don

Doran, Frank

Dunwoody, Hon Mrs Gwyneth

Edwards, Huw

Enright, Derek

Evans, John (St Helens N)

Ewing, Harry (Falkirk E)

Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray)

Fatchett, Derek

Fearn, Ronald

Flannery, Martin

Flynn, Paul

Foster, Derek

Foulkes, George

Fyfe, Maria

Godman, Dr Norman A.

Golding, Mrs Llin

Gordon, Mildred

Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S)

Griffiths, Win (Bridgend)

Grocott, Bruce

Haynes, Frank

Hinchliffe, David

Hoey, Kate (Vauxhall)

Home Robertson, John

Hood, Jimmy

Howarth, George (Knowsley N)

Howells, Dr. Kim (Pontypridd)

Hughes, John (Coventry NE)

Hughes, Robert (Aberdeen N)

Illsley, Eric

Jones, Martyn (Clwyd S W)

Kirkwood, Archy

Lamond, James

Litherland, Robert

Livsey, Richard

Lofthouse, Geoffrey

Loyden, Eddie

McAllion, John

McAvoy, Thomas

McCrea, Rev William

Macdonald, Calum A.

McFall, John

McGrady, Eddie

McKelvey, William

McMaster, Gordon

McNamara, Kevin

Madden, Max

Mahon, Mrs Alice

Marshall, David (Shettleston)

Marshall, Jim (Leicester S)

Martin, Michael J. (Springburn)

Martlew, Eric

Maxton, John

Meale, Alan

Michael, Alun

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Michie, Mrs Ray (Arg'l & Bute)

Mitchell, Austin (G't Grimsby)

Molyneaux, Rt Hon James

Morgan, Rhodri

Morley, Elliot

Murphy, Paul

Nellist, Dave

O'Brien, William

O'Hara, Edward

Parry, Robert

Patchett, Terry

Pike, Peter L.

Powell, Ray (Ogmore)

Prescott, John

Quin, Ms Joyce

Redmond, Martin

Richardson, Jo

Robertson, George

Rogers, Allan

Rooney, Terence

Ross, Ernie (Dundee W)

Ross, William (Londonderry E)

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