What progress has been made on a new fishing vessel safety scheme.

I am pleased to announce that following very helpful and constructive discussions between officials and the industry, and as part of a UK-wide initiative, we propose to introduce two key measures to promote the safety at sea of fishermen and fishing vessels.There is a key need to improve the safety culture within the industry. We need to make sure every fisherman is aware of safety issues and the risks involved in what is an inherently dangerous occupation. We therefore propose to make available up to £0.5 million in each of the next three financial years to promote the delivery of safety training for fishermen in Scotland.That will include courses to update safety awareness; training in accident prevention and risk assessment, and safety training for new entrants to the industry. Discussions about course development and delivery are already underway and consultation on the detail of implementation will continue. Delivery will be via the Sea Fish Industry Authority and is planned to commence from 1 April next year.We also propose to make available grant funding, of up to 40% of project costs, to support trials and testing of innovative or experimental equipment designed to help prevent accidents and improve safety at sea. Funding under that scheme will be made available as soon as possible around the end of this year.I am grateful to the industry representatives and others who have contributed to the development of these proposals. In particular, this initiative was driven forward with great enthusiasm by my predecessor, John Home Robertson. I share his determination to build a safety culture and I hope these measures will be welcomed and that fishermen will take advantage of the opportunities they offer. We have a common interest in improving safety. I believe these measures will contribute significantly towards that.