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38 per cent. came from British salmon farms, 38 per cent. from imports, 20 per cent. from commercial net fishermen and 4 per cent. from rod and line catches (not all the latter will necessarily have been marketed). In 1984 fish farm production
rose by just over 50 per cent. and imports rose very slightly; final figures for net catches and rod and line catches
are not yet available. Records are not available of the value of trade in salmon, of the number of people employed in the trade or of the number of people dependent on salmon fishing for a livelihood.
Outgoers Scheme
Mr. Knox asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress made on the outgoers scheme for dairy farmers.
Mr. Jopling [pursuant to his reply, 14 March 1985, c. 266]: A total of 224 million litres of milk quota is available under the outgoers scheme. A further 94 producers, each with over 725,000 litres of quota who in February reaffirmed their interest, have now been invited to join.
These producers will be expected to return their claim forms within one week and to cease milk sales within three weeks but any who experience difficulties in stopping sales within this period may be allowed some extra time, individual circumstances being taken into account.
Any producer in this position should contact his local divisional office.
A total of 1,451 producers have now joined the outgoers scheme in our progress towards meeting the 289 million litre target.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Nicaragua
Mr. Deakins asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has not condemned the threat of force by the United States of America against Nicaragua, in violation of its obligations under the United Nations charter.
Mr. Renton: Like ourselves, the United States Administration have said that they wish to see political reform in Central America through peaceful means. United States support for the Contadora initiative was reiterated at the last United Nations General Assembly session.
Nuclear Test Ban
Mr. Deakins asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the existing verification procedures to ensure compliance with a nuclear test ban considered adequate by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 39/52; why the United Kingdom voted against this resolution; and what attitude was taken by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Mr. Rifkind: Resolution 39/52 contained no indication of the measures its Warsaw Pact sponsors considered adequate to ensure compliance with a nuclear test ban. Because it was an unbalanced declaratory resolution which did nothing to advance the prospects for real progress towards a comprehensive test ban, the United Kingdom and the majority of our NATO Allies did not support it. The Soviet Union voted in favour of it. As I told the hon.
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Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 11 December 1984, at column 450, we believe that for a test ban to command general acceptance it must contain adequate safeguards against the danger of non-compliance by any of its signatory parties. A first step towards ensuring this would be the improvement of current verification techniques. We will continue to play an active part in any discussions of this aspect of a CTB at the Geneva conference on disarmament.
Mr. Deakins asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the United Kingdom voted against resolution 39/60 ofthe United Nations General Assembly regarding the immediate cessation and
non-prolife
Mr. Rifkind,
Member called for weapons testing
nuclear weapons-
eclate cessation of nuclear Besolution referred to by the hon.
urged the conference omdisarmament to proceed with negotiations on a treaty. I would also refer the hon Member to the answer I gave him his,previous question.
Our-vote-against-this-resolution in no way lessens our determination to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. We are fully committed to the non-proliferation regime established by the non-proliferation treaty.
Hong Kong
Sir Paul Bryan asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the conduct of the recent elections in Hong Kong, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind: In the recent elections held on 7 March for Hong Kong's local district boards, 213 seats were contested by nearly 500 candidates, and over 476,000 people voted. This represents an increase of almost 134,000 over the number who voted in the first elections in 1982. It is a very satisfactory result, and an encouraging indication of popular support in Hong Kong for the steps that are being taken to develop a more representative system of government there.
Departmental Legislation
Mr. Galley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Acts of Parliament have been promoted and how many statutory instruments made by his Department, or predecessor Departments covering his areas of responsibility, in each of the last 20 years.
Mr. Rifkind: As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury indicated on 1 April, at column 507, in answer to a similar question from my hon. Friend, because of the changes in the machinery of government over the last 20 years, the apportionment of Acts and statutory instruments to the areas of present ministerial responsibility could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Non-Proliferation Treaty
Mr. Deakins asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards extending the competence of the European Economic Community into matters of non-proliferation; and how such proposals would affect the United Kingdom obligations under the non- proliferation treaty.
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