Environment and Rural Development Committee, 28 Jan 2004
Meeting date: Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Official Report 270KB pdf
Contents
- Scottish Parliament Environment and Rural Development Committee Wednesday 28 January 2004 (Morning)
- Subordinate Legislation
- Energy Bill (UK Legislation)
- Renewable Energy
- Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Subordinate Legislation
Sea Fishing (Restriction on Days at Sea) (Scotland) Amendment (No 3) Order 2003 (SSI 2003/623)
I welcome committee members, witnesses, the press and members of the public. We have received no apologies. I remind everyone to turn off their mobile phones in case they ring out merrily at the wrong moment.
Under item 1, we have to consider one instrument that is subject to the negative procedure. The Sea Fishing (Restriction on Days at Sea) (Scotland) Amendment (No 3) Order 2003 has been considered by the Subordinate Legislation Committee, which had nothing to report to us. Do members have any comments?
I spoke to several representative organisations about the instrument. Their view is that there is no point in taking any action because the order will expire in less than four days. However, I noticed that many organisations expressed concern because they are not sure what will replace the order next Monday morning. I wonder whether we have any information that would help to allay their fears.
No. We have only the papers that members have before them this morning.
It is obviously very near to the end of the order's life and, of course, we support it. Given the chaos in the negotiations on the future of the common fisheries policy, we do not expect to see another order like this one for quite a while, at least until the negotiations are sorted out.
The order is fairly straightforward—it just extends for another month the arrangements that were in place until the end of December. That month has been a useful breathing space in which to negotiate in Brussels the details of the regulations that will apply to our fishermen. I hope that it will enable good work to be done, that it will pay dividends and that we will be pleased that the month was available.
Members have made their points. As there are no other comments, are members happy to make no recommendation on the instrument to Parliament?
Members indicated agreement.