Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
During his questioning of the First Minister today (Thursday) SNP MSP for Banff and Buchan Stewart Stevenson welcomed the commitment he has received from Acting Fisheries Minister, Allan Wilson, that he will meet EU Commissioner Franz Fischler next week.
Speaking from his Scottish Parliament office, Mr Stevenson said:
"The SNP have been campaigning for a direct engagement with the EU on the subject of fishing for some considerable time. At last we see a recognition that we can only make progress when we put our own case face to face.
"Until now, the Scottish government have always maintained that Westminster can represent our interests.
"Today's change of heart is a welcome step forward. The Minister must now put Scotland's case with vigour."
On the subject of the closure of haddock fisheries due to lack of usable quota, the First Minister was less encouraging.
"Any change in the regulations, or amendment of the size and position of the restricted fishing area, is uncertain.
"It was therefore very disappointing that Jack McConnell had nothing to offer fishermen in the interim other than to continue discards of marketable fish.
"This flies in the face of conservation, the very objective which the Common Fisheries Policy claims to advance."
