Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the sustainability of the fisheries sector.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We are supporting the long-term future of the UK’s fishing fleet, by developing Fisheries Management Plans, and investing through the £100 million UK Seafood Fund – including £3 million for the Scottish Seafood Centre of Excellence in Fraserburgh. Scotland will also benefit from an increase in fishing opportunities this year compared to 2023, as Scottish fisheries continue to see the benefits of our post-Brexit deal for fishing.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Scottish Government on its proposals to prohibit biodegradable municipal waste from being sent to landfill sites by 2025; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these proposals on landfill sites in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
My officials regularly engage with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government, to discuss policy developments and interactions. Earlier this summer we issued a Call for Evidence relating to the near elimination of biodegradable waste disposal in landfill in England from 2028. As part of this Call for Evidence we included two questions related to the inter-UK disposal of biodegradable waste in landfill.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on securing the ability of the UK to export seed potatoes to the EU.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
This issue was discussed with the EU at the Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, formed as part of the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU, in September 2021. The conclusion was to hold technical talks on the EU’s prohibition, which are expected to take place during February. Given that our regime already aligns substantially with the EU’s, we will continue to challenge the European Commission to reconsider its position in line with its own regulations.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK can enforce its fishing rights after the end of the transition period.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has taken significant steps to ensure the UK can enforce its fishing rights. These include, with respect to England via the Marine Management Organisation, increasing the number of frontline warranted officers by 50% (35 people) for 2019/2020; putting in place a framework to increase aerial surveillance by a maximum of two surveillance aircraft as risk and intelligence demands; and chartering two additional commercial vessels to enable an increase in routine sea-based inspections to supplement provision from the Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron.
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter. As such, it will continue to be for each Devolved Administration to decide how best to control and enforce its waters, and what new arrangements may be needed. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a coordinated approach to fisheries control and enforcement across UK waters.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Scotch beef sector of the (a) European Commission and (b) Irish Government's emergency support for the Irish beef sector.
Answered by David Rutley
Following careful consideration of evidence which demonstrated a sustained period of low prices, the European Commission took the decision to grant exceptional aid to the Irish beef sector. The Irish Government is entitled to provide additional money to match this fund under the same conditions which are linked to rebalancing the sector. At this stage it is too early to comment on what effect this has had on the markets, but my department continues to monitor the situation.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to Scottish live seafood exporters on preparations in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Delivering a deal with the EU remains our top priority, but as with any responsible Government, we are planning for all scenarios.
To continue exporting to the EU if the UK leaves without a deal, UK seafood exporters would need to provide a catch certificate and an export health certificate for most fish and fish products. We have published detailed guidance on the gov.uk website and have held several events nationally to help the industry prepare to abide by these rules imposed by the EU. These events have included demonstrations of the IT systems which exporters would need to use, and the processes they would have to follow in the event of leaving the EU without a deal.
Fisheries management is a devolved matter. That will not change as a result of leaving the EU. The UK Government has worked closely with the Scottish Government, as well as the Welsh Government and DAERA, to ensure consistency and help prepare the sector as a whole.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what certification would be required for live seafood exporters based in Scotland exporting to the EU 27 in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Delivering a deal with the EU remains our top priority, but as with any responsible Government, we are planning for all scenarios.
To continue exporting to the EU if the UK leaves without a deal, UK seafood exporters would need to provide a catch certificate and an export health certificate for most fish and fish products. We have published detailed guidance on the gov.uk website and have held several events nationally to help the industry prepare to abide by these rules imposed by the EU. These events have included demonstrations of the IT systems which exporters would need to use, and the processes they would have to follow in the event of leaving the EU without a deal.
Fisheries management is a devolved matter. That will not change as a result of leaving the EU. The UK Government has worked closely with the Scottish Government, as well as the Welsh Government and DAERA, to ensure consistency and help prepare the sector as a whole.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to provide financial support to expand the UK fisheries sector following the UK’s departure from the EU common fisheries policy.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
On 10 December 2018 the Secretary of State announced £37.2 million of extra funding for the UK seafood sector – to be spent in line with European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) priorities – for projects approved during 2019 and 2020 to boost the industry as we become an independent coastal state.
The Secretary of State has also committed that the Government will put in place new domestic, long term arrangements to support the UK’s fishing industry from 2021, through the creation of four new schemes comparable to the EMFF to deliver funding for each nation. The devolved administrations will lead on their own schemes. The new schemes will be introduced after the EMFF has closed in 2020. Details of these will be set at the 2019 Spending Review, alongside decisions on all other domestic spending priorities.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
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 has met with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) representatives of the Scottish fishing industry to discuss (i) domestic skills, (ii) training and (iii) recruitment in the Scottish fishing industry.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Officials and I have had, and will continue to have, regular discussions with the Scottish Government and the Scottish fishing industry on the full range of fisheries issues in relation to the UK leaving the EU.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Scottish Government on the Seafood 2040 framework and the relevance of its recommendations for the Scottish fishing industry.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Seafood 2040 is a strategy for England, developed by representatives of the English seafood sector. However, its development was facilitated by the UK-wide NDPB Seafish, and the industry group included an aquaculture expert from Scotland. Seafood 2040 is a public document and its findings and recommendations are available to all. A member of the Seafood 2040 group has presented the report to the EMFF Programme Monitoring Committee, which includes members from the four Fisheries Administrations and industry bodies from across the UK.