The complainant
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15. Mr A was, for over 20 years, employed as a deep-sea fisherman. In 1972 he was working aboard a vessel which trawled deep waters, including those subsequently defined by the scheme as Icelandic. In February 1972 a refit of Mr A’s vessel commenced following a major survey that took place every four years by the then Board of Trade (generally known as the Lloyd’s survey). During the period of that refit, according to Mrs A’s account, Mr A’s employers were unable to make another Icelandic water vessel available to him (until May 1972) and he was left with no alternative but to take employment in North Sea fishing as directed by the employment officer on the dock at Grimsby.
16. Mrs A’s claim on behalf of her late husband was received by DTI on 18 October 2000 and acknowledged. An award was made to her on 10 November 2001, based on Mr A’s service from 19 May 1972 to 18 December 1979. That was because his continuity of service had been broken by a period of service in 1972 on a North Sea vessel, an invalid vessel under the scheme, during a between voyage break of longer than twelve weeks. Mrs A appealed that award but on 3 April 2002 DTI refused her appeal. Mrs A then appealed to the independent adjudicator appointed for the scheme. On 18 May 2002 the independent adjudicator rejected Mrs A’s appeal.
