Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to protect the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Current legislation already provides protection for farmed fish kept for the production of meat or other products whilst on farm and during transport. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any protected animal, including fish, or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of a protected animal, for which that person is responsible. Legislation on the protection of animals at the time of killing also requires that farmed fish are spared avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations.
The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was finalised in 2023. A copy is attached to this answer. As a result of this a GB-wide joint government and industry working group on farmed trout has been examining the issues raised in the report to explore potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. This co-design work is making good progress. The Scottish Government is also working closely with the salmon industry regarding more detailed welfare at killing requirements. We are awaiting the completion of this group’s work and we will then explore all the potential next steps, including options for creating detailed guidance and new legislation.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to retain full UK control over all fishing rights in UK waters, as agreed in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, from 1 July 2026.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our fisheries relationship with the EU is governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) which provides reciprocal access to waters during a five-and-a-half-year adjustment period until 31 June 2026. After 31 June 2026, EU access to UK waters (and vice versa) becomes a matter for annual negotiation under the TCA, as is typical between coastal States.
We know that the EU want a new multi-year access agreement, and we will to listen to what they have to say. We will protect the interests of our fishing communities and fulfil our commitments to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to maintain the ban on sandeel fishing in UK waters as part of their negotiations with the EU.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Both the UK and Scottish Governments closed English Waters of the North Sea and all Scottish Waters to fishing for sandeel in March 2024. The closure is in place to shield sandeel as an essential food source for threatened seabird populations, commercially valuable fish and for marine mammals. The EU has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation agreement (TCA). The dispute proceedings are confidential therefore there is little more I can say at this time.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to improve biodiversity and nature inside the green belt.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to improving biodiversity across the country, including within the Green Belt. The Government’s intention is for Green Belts to provide multiple benefits, including nature recovery and increased public access to nature.
Local nature recovery strategies (LNRS) are being prepared across England. The LNRS statutory guidance states that if a responsible authority has Green Belt in their area, they should actively seek to target proposed actions for nature recovery inside it.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Defra are working together to improve planning policy following the consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. This includes proposals for ‘golden rules’ for development in the Green Belt to deliver greener development which enhances nature and supports communities.
One of the Government’s key mechanisms to disincentivise harm to nature, including in the Green Belt, is biodiversity net gain, a new planning condition whereby habitats which are lost or degraded by development must be compensated for by enhancing or creating habitats that are of greater value to wildlife.