Sustainable Fisheries

Alan Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 4th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I thank my hon. Friend for the welcome that he and his constituents gave me on Monday, when I visited Peterhead for the third time this year. I also thank him and his Scottish Conservative colleagues for their support and for the detailed analysis that they have provided to ensure that we deliver on this policy. It has been a real pleasure to have Scottish Conservative Members who are absolutely committed to the health of the fishing industry and who—rather than trying to make cheap political points off the back of hard-working men and women, as some other parties in this House have sought to do—have put the welfare of the coastal communities that they represent in this House first. It is an exemplary way in which to proceed.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

The Secretary of State said in his statement:

“The White Paper sets out our approach to develop a UK framework for fisheries management that will respect the devolution settlements”,

yet he did not properly engage the Scottish Government in the production of this White Paper. He stood at the Dispatch Box and just said, “No, no, no,” to the questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh North and Leith (Deidre Brock) about framework guarantees.

The White Paper itself says that frameworks will “not normally be adjusted” without the consent of the devolved institutions. We know what those weasel words mean. Page 22 of the document states:

“The powers concerning international relations, on access to waters and setting quota, will be exercised at UK level”.

Is not that Tory speak for, “The UK Government will do what they want and expect the devolved Administrations to like it or lump it.”?

[Michael Gove]

No.