Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, within what time period after the UK leaves the EU it will assume control of its exclusive economic zone and become an independent coastal state under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK will automatically assume control of its Exclusive Economic Zone and become an independent Coastal State on the day that it leaves the European Union.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on how the Government's industrial strategy will support food producers.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at ministerial and official level, to ensure the industrial strategy supports the agri-food sector.
The agri-food sector contributes £110 billion per year to our economy and is a big employer in every region of the UK, so is well placed to support growth across the whole country. We will be working with the agri-food sector to develop an industrial strategy that delivers a world-leading food, farming and fishing nation that grows more, sells more and exports more food around the world.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the status of the 1964 London Fisheries Convention after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
We are looking very carefully at the London Fisheries Convention. As the Prime Minister told the House on 29 March, we hope to be able to say something about this soon.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with representatives of the fishing industry on the status of the 1964 London Fisheries Convention.
Answered by George Eustice
Ministers and officials have had meetings with a number of organisations to discuss a range of issues associated with EU exit including the 1964 London Fisheries Convention. As the Prime Minister told Parliament on 29 March, we hope to be able to say something about this soon.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a timetable outlining the measures required for the UK to establish itself as an independent coastal state under the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.
Answered by George Eustice
In accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, following EU exit, the UK will be responsible for managing living resources, including fisheries, within its territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that the UK negotiates future fisheries management as an independent coastal state.
Answered by George Eustice
As a coastal state outside the EU, the UK will be responsible, under international law, for controlling UK waters and the sustainable management of fisheries resources within the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The UK will negotiate as an independent coastal state.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving powers to the Scottish Government in advance of the Great Repeal Bill in order to promote mixed fisheries opportunities and reactive positive stock management.
Answered by George Eustice
Marine Scotland is already responsible for controlling the activities of all fishing vessels operating within the Scottish zone, as defined by the Fishery Limits Act 1976 and the Scotland Act 1998.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the need for more staff in her Department to deal with the effects of the UK leaving the EU on farming and fishing.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is amongst those Government departments whose work is most closely linked to and impacted by EU activity, legal frameworks and funding. In terms of work arising from the UK’s vote to leave the EU, some 80% of Defra’s work is framed by EU legislation and a quarter of EU laws apply to Defra’s sectors. Many roles across the Defra group are now supporting EU exit-related work, either directly or indirectly.
As with all departments, Defra’s work programmes and recruitment plans are continually kept under review to ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand. The resourcing of EU Exit work is a key priority of the Department and will be subject to on-going assessment. Staffing resources will be deployed flexibly across the entire Defra agenda, including work on our farming and fisheries policy.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation her Department has had with the devolved administrations on the 25-year plan for food and farming.
Answered by George Eustice
We will continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as well as stakeholders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – seeking to benefit from shared learning in order to achieve our vision of building a world leading food and farming nation.
The views of the devolved nations will play an important part in helping shape our preparations for exit and achieving arrangements that work for all parts of the UK.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she next plans to meet her counterparts in the Scottish Government to discuss the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the rural economy.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Joint Ministerial Committee (EU negotiations) was set up to bring together constituent parts of the United Kingdom to develop a UK-wide approach to our negotiations and to discuss issues stemming from the negotiation process that may impact upon or have consequences for the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government or the Northern Ireland Executive. In addition, Defra has set up a twin track approach of regular meetings at ministerial and senior official level with Devolved Administration (DA) counterparts, supplemented with bilateral meetings on specific issues as they arise. The next DA Ministerial and senior officials meetings are currently being arranged and will take place in April.