Anger Building Over Lack Of Payments – Fishupdate.com

By systemwyvex - 22nd September 2014

Anger Building Over Lack Of Payments Fishing Monthly Published: 19 May, 2003

UNCERTAINTIES over payment of £10million transitional aid to the Scottish fishing industry threaten to boil over into real anger if there is no progress on the issue by the end of next week, an industry spokesman warned today.

Scottish White Fish Producers Association secretary George MacRae, said the Scottish Executive cash cannot be paid out until Brussels approval had been secured.

But the fact remained that this cash was supposed originally to be available between January and the end of June this year.

We are now at May 19 and if we have not got state aid approval from Brussels by the end of next week, there is going to be hell on earth.

Initially when money was being offered by the Scottish Parliament it was money to be available during the six months period from January to June 30, 2003.

Now one would expect as no money has been been paid that the availability of the fund would be extended to December 31 2003.

And is the delay a sign either that there is a problem with this aid or is it a forerunner of the lengthy process needed every time the Scottish Parliament wants to make money available to the Scottish fishing industry?