Benefit Changes Affecting Fishermen

EDM number 736 in 1989-90, proposed by Alex Salmond on 15/03/1990.

That this House views with concern the effects on share fisherman and fishing crews of new regulations, introduced on 10th December 1989, covering benefit payments, which establishes a ú43 earnings limit in a seven day benefit week; regrets that the new rules were introduced without consultation with the industry, and despite the existence of a 42 year old agreement that higher national insurance contributions would be paid by share fishermen on the understanding that they would be able to claim unemployment benefit for the days they cannot go to sea; and calls upon the Government, who have now imposed a compulsory lay-up scheme with the intention of reducing catching effort, to amend the Department of Social Security regulations to allow fishermen to claim benefit payments when they are prevented from going to sea.

This motion has been signed by a total of 21 MPs.