Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department adopted the features-based approach for the assessment method for the stage 3 Marine Protected Area byelaws.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Marine Management Organisation uses a feature-based approach for developing fisheries management measures in England’s Marine Protected Areas, including the proposed stage 3 byelaws. Sometimes these management measures will involve restrictions across the whole of a site, where the features to be protected cover the whole site.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for implementing measures in Inshore Marine Protected Areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The responsibility for developing byelaws lies with the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs). We are encouraging the IFCAs to complete as soon as possible the good work they have already done to ensure our MPAs are effectively protected.

Inshore MPAs located between 6 and 12 nautical miles from the coast are the responsibility of the Marine Management Organisation and it launched a consultation in June 2025 on stage 3 of its programme of MPA fisheries management measures.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for the implementation of the stage 3 offshore MPA byelaws once the consultation has been concluded.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We aim to implement any necessary byelaws quickly. However, this will depend on the number and complexity of responses received to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of England's waters would be closed to bottom trawling when the proposed stage 3 byelaws are implemented.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We cannot pre-judge the outcome of the stage 3 byelaw consultation, which is currently in progress.

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner

Found: Q7 Barry Gardiner: What is the risk to human health here?

Found: Q7 Barry Gardiner: What is the risk to human health here?

Found: Cross boundary enforcement of BNG commitments on off-site Habitat Banks Mr Barry Gardiner MP enquired

Found: Q83 Barry Gardiner: I wanted to clarify that.

Found: Q83 Barry Gardiner: I wanted to clarify that.

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: NC8 John McDonnell Rachael Maskell Richard Burgon Clive Lewis Jon Trickett Paula Barker Barry Gardiner

Found: Stevenson Patricia Ferguson Simon Hoare Adam Jogee Mary Kelly Foy Wera Hobhouse Melanie Ward Barry Gardiner

Found: Paffey Steve Witherden Apsana Begum Siân Berry John Whitby Marsha De Cordova Olivia Blake Barry Gardiner

Found: Barry Gardiner Minister For Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs Foreword 6 This Handbook sets out