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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Compensation scheme announced to support pollack fishers, published on 10 April 2024, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential (a) costs and (b) impact of setting the Pollack compensation scheme thresholds at different percentage levels.

Answered by Mark Spencer

The department made the required assessment ahead of the Ministerial Direction to evidence a range of options for consideration, which included costs. As part of the assessment, the department sought to balance supporting as many fishers who have been affected most by the zero Total Allowable Catch restrictions while bearing in mind the overall cost of the scheme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2024 to Question 22013 on White Fish: Fishing Catches, how he plans to fund the compensation scheme through his Department's existing budget; and whether his Department (a) has a budget surplus and (b) will make reduce expenditure to fund the scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

Funding for the compensation scheme will be found by examining current spending priorities to ensure efficient use of budgets. The Department does not have a budget surplus, so adjustments and optimisations will be made to accommodate the compensation scheme without requiring substantial reductions in expenditure elsewhere in the Department.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels that mainly land catches in Plymouth are eligible for payments from the Pollack compensation scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed that there are 12 vessels that have Plymouth registered as their home port and are eligible for the compensation scheme. 8 of these have submitted their applications and received payment, totalling £62,480. Every application received has been paid within 24 hours.

MMO has contacted all eligible fishers via email and is calling those who have yet to apply. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29 April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels that mainly land catches in Brixham are eligible for payments from the Pollack compensation scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

MMO have confirmed that there are four vessels that have Brixham registered as their home port and are eligible for the compensation scheme. Three of these vessels have submitted their applications and received payment, totalling £14,030. Every application received has been paid within 24 hours.

MMO have contacted all eligible fishers via email and are calling those who have yet to apply. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29^th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels that mainly land catches in Newlyn are eligible for payments from the Pollack compensation scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

MMO have confirmed that there are 29 vessels that have Newlyn registered as their home port and are eligible for the compensation scheme. 21 of these have submitted their applications and received payment, totalling £256,405. Every application received has been paid within 24 hours.

MMO have contacted all eligible fishers via email and are calling those who have yet to apply. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29^th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels that mainly land catches in Mevagissey are eligible for payments from the Pollack compensation scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed that there are zero eligible vessels that have Mevagissey as their registered home port.

MMO has contacted all eligible fishers via email and is calling those who have yet to apply. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29 April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels that mainly land catches in Looe are eligible for payments from the Pollack compensation scheme.

Answered by Mark Spencer

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed there are zero eligible vessels that have Looe as their registered home port.

MMO has contacted all eligible fishers via email and is calling those who have yet to apply. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29 April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to announce his decision on bathing water designation; and for what reason this announcement has been delayed.

Answered by Robbie Moore

The summary of responses and government response to the consultation on 27 proposed bathing water sites was published on GOV.UK on 13 May: Bathing waters: proposed designation of 27 new bathing waters in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The newly designated sites will be added to the list of bathing waters with effect from the 2024 bathing season. Defra received 10,962 responses to the consultation on designating these sites, and ensured the confirmation of designations was made before the start of the bathing season, which begins on 15 May.