Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday

Author:Paul Torday
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 2006-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

17

Extract from Hansard

House of Commons

Thursday 9th October

The House met at half past eleven o’clock

PRAYERS

(Mr Speaker in the Chair)

Oral Answers to Questions

The Prime Minister

♦

Mr Hamish Stewart (Cruives & The Bogles) (SNP):

If he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9th October?

The Prime Minister (Mr Jay Vent):

Later this morning I will be in meetings with ministerial colleagues, and for most of the rest of the day.

Mr Hamish Stewart:

Will the Prime Minister find time during the course of his meetings with colleagues to explain his support for yet another example of how this government and recent governments have considered it appropriate to interfere with the political, cultural and religious affairs of a sovereign Middle Eastern country?

The Prime Minister:

I presume the honourable gentleman is referring to the Yemen salmon project?

Hamish Stewart:

That is correct. Will the Prime Minister explain to the House why this government is sponsoring the export of live Scottish salmon to die miserably in a desert country? Is he aware that salmon fishing is not a recognised activity in the Muslim world? Does he appreciate the gross religious and cultural intrusion this project represents? Has the export of salmon been in any way regulated by appropriate agencies such as the Food Standards Agency? Is the RSPCA aware of this project? Can the Prime Minister assure us that he is content these Scottish fish will not suffer as they die from heat stress in the sand?

The Prime Minister:

That is quite a lot of questions to answer at one time. However, if the honourable member for Cruives & The Bogles has paused to draw breath, I will respond as best I can. The Yemen salmon project is a privately funded project which does not involve this government in any way. Nor does it constitute interference, political, cultural or otherwise, with the affairs of the Republic of the Yemen. On the contrary, it is a vindication of this government’s multicultural policies that a Yemeni citizen has come to think of this country as his second home, and that as result of his UK residency he has developed an interest in salmon fishing and as a result of that, has involved UK scientists and engineers in this project.

Of course we are also aware that a government agency, the National Centre for Fisheries Excellence, has been selected as the primary source for the science for the project. And that is why this government can rightly be proud of its continuing support for environmental science and environmental projects, something that does not appear to be a priority for the party opposite.

Mr Andrew Smith (Glasgow South) (Lab):

Is the member for Cruives & The Bogles aware that the export of salmon to the Yemen actually represents a very large order with the respected Scottish firm of McSalmon Aqua Farms? As a result of that order I believe six more Scottish jobs are being created in a region where unemployment has always been high. Of course, these jobs are not in the member for Cruives & The Bogles’ constituency, nor are

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