The Fishing Vessels (Acquisition and Improvement) (Grants) (Amendment) Scheme 1990

Amendment of the principal Scheme

5.  For paragraph 3 thereof (application for grant) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“3.— (1) Any person engaged or proposing to be engaged in the sea fish industry by carrying on the business of owning and operating one or more vessels registered in the United Kingdom for the purpose of catching or processing sea fish may apply to the Ministers for a grant in respect of—

(a) expenditure incurred or to be incurred, subject to sub-paragraph (2) below—

(i) in the acquisition or construction of a new vessel, registered or intended to be registered in the United Kingdom, to be engaged in the catching or processing of sea fish, including equipment required for the operation of the vessel which is sold with the vessel; or

(ii) in making an improvement to a vessel registered in the United Kingdom, engaged in the catching or processing of sea fish; or

(b) expenditure incurred, subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, in making an improvement to a vessel registered in the United Kingdom, engaged in the catching or processing of sea fish, where the improvement relates only to equipment required for, or installed or used on, such a vessel to comply with the provisions of the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975(1).

(2) The Ministers may not pay a grant under sub-paragraph (1)(a) above unless—

(a) such grant appears to them to be requisite for the purpose of enabling the applicant to benefit from Community aid for a project covered by Title II or III of the Council Regulation (restructuring, renewal and modernisation of the fishing fleet); and

(b) a decision that the project shall receive Community aid has been taken, and notified to the United Kingdom, under Article 35 of the Council Regulation.

(3) No grant shall be payable under sub-paragraph (1)(b) above in respect of expenditure incurred—

(a) in the acquisition or installation of any second-hand equipment; or

(b) in relation to an improvement in so far as, in the opinion of the Ministers, such expenditure can be regarded as laid out on the routine repair or maintenance of equipment required for the vessel or installed or used thereon.

(4) Applications for grant under this Scheme shall be made in writing in such form as the Ministers may from time to time require, and shall be delivered to them at such address as they may at any time or in any particular case direct.”.

(1)

S.I. 1975/330, amended by S.I. 1975/471, 1976/432, 1977/313, 498, 1978/1598, 1873, 1981/567 and by the Fisheries Act 1981, Schedule 3, paragraph 8(3).