UK Shellfish Sector
Debate between Baroness Sheehan and Lord Gardiner of Kimble(3 years, 9 months ago)
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Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con) [V]
My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord. We are seeking a pragmatic solution to this matter.
Baroness Sheehan (LD) [V]
My Lords, I would like to follow on from the question from the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay. The Minister said a little bit about what needs to be done to bring our class B waters up to class A standards. Can he say how long he thinks this might take? Will the Government move this into a higher priority area now?
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con) [V]
On the timeframe, there has been a lot of work to improve waters and achieve our water regulation standard results in shellfish waters of high class B quality. As I say, there is investment, and this will need to continue. Part of our 25-year environment plan is to have three quarters of our water in its natural state. This is going to need investment, and we are working on this. But I want to emphasise that our molluscs from class B waters are of very high quality, and we wish to work with permission to ensure that this legitimate trade, which is important around the country, is resumed.