On the Minister's figures for increasing the number of jobs in the industry, what efforts are the Government making to double our catch by 1979?

That is a separate question.

It is a separate question but we have a very positive performance in the whole marine credit plan making increased grants available for the re-engineering of boats involving a 5 per cent deposit and a 12-year period of repayment. These are just some of the matters on which I have already replied.

Has the Minister made any kind of projections of the kind of employment that would create?

I want to emphasise again a point I emphasised here before. Real projections are very difficult until we know the resources we have to fish, and what we have to fish in the way of resources is dependent on the outcome of the current negotiations with our partners in the EEC in seeking to evolve a common fisheries policy. These talks will be resumed next Monday, will continue into Tuesday, and possibly longer, and so it is not proper to talk about real planning until we know the extent of the resources we have.

Will the Minister make a statement to the House after these talks?

Certainly.

Question No. 2.

Just one final supplementary. Has the Minister got a vastly increased number of applications for new boats?

Since the announcement of the improved terms I mentioned about a month ago there has been a very positive reaction in the way of increased inquiries, and the boatyard difficulties that were there appear to have decreased by reason of these increased and improved terms.