Salmond steps into Vigo wrangle
THE ROW over the exclusion of Scottish fisheries minister Richard Lochhead from key European fisheries talks in Spain on Tuesday and Wednesday has reached the highest political level.
On Sunday the SNP government bitterly complained that the UK was represented at the talks by Lord Davies, an “unelected member of the house of Lords”.
Yesterday (Monday) first minister Alex Salmond wrote to prime minister Gordon Brown seeking his urgent intervention in order to reverse the decision.
The meeting in the Galician town of Vigo includes the presentation of a detailed report on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy, which is crucially important to Scotland as it is responsible for more than 70 per cent of the UK’s fishing industry.
Mr Salmond wrote: “Mr Lochhead had asked to attend the talks in Vigo, Spain, but was refused permission by UK Secretary of State Hilary Benn last month.
“Since then, the situation has escalated after it was confirmed that the informal fisheries council agenda in Vigo has now been expanded to consider items that had been due to be discussed at the Formal Agri-Fish Council in Luxembourg on 19 April, which Mr Lochhead was due to attend. That meeting was cancelled due to travel disruption caused by volcanic ash.
“The presentation of a detailed report on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy, which is crucially important to Scotland, will now be discussed at Vigo instead.
“In all these circumstances, it cannot possibly be right for Mr Lochhead to be excluded from the talks in Vigo, with the UK delegation being led by an unelected peer, Lord Davies, whose important departmental responsibilities contain no specific issues relating to the fisheries industry, but rather relate to agricultural and other matters such as bee and plant health.
“As you know, Scotland’s fishing industry represents over 70 per cent of the UK’s as a whole, and it is disgraceful that the nation of the UK with the strongest interest in the issues at stake should be excluded from the Vigo talks, with the elected Scottish fisheries minister refused attendance by DEFRA even at a time when a UK fisheries minister is not available.
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Of course, it may be that this matter has become confused during a period when UK ministers are absent from their Whitehall departments, and therefore I am asking for your intervention by the end of today in order that this matter can be satisfactorily resolved.
“Mr Lochhead is prepared to make himself available to attend these talks tomorrow and Wednesday in the best interests of the fisheries sector, and I look forward to your urgent response in order that the necessary arrangements can be made.”
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