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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) increase in biomass of Octopus vulgaris and (b) their predation of shellfish in pots at sea on the livelihoods of (i) crab and (ii) lobster fishermen in Plymouth.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I recently visited the fishing industry in Plymouth and was made aware of reports of an unusual abundance of octopus in the Southwest including Cornwall.

Defra understands this ‘octopus bloom’ is impacting shellfish potting fisheries and causing concern to the fishing industry in the Southwest.

Government scientists, the Marine Management Organisation and local Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities have met with Defra on the 20^th of May to discuss this phenomenon, the evidence, the impacts on the crab and lobster stocks as well as possible actions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support individuals with unspent convictions seeking employment.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers and the voluntary sector.

Employment roles are in place across all 93 resettlement prisons to prepare prisoners for work on release, match them to jobs and provide ID documents to secure work. These are supported by employment advisory boards, linking local employers with the prison resettlement.

We have launched regional Employment Councils which bring businesses together with prisons, probation and the Department of Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community.

In addition, HMPPS’ Creating Future Opportunities programme offers tailored support for ex-offenders - particularly those who are furthest from the labour market - to secure employment, training and education opportunities for release.

We also work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure support is in place for ex-offenders in the community, for example, through co-location of services.

Service with the British Commanders’-In-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany, 1946-1990

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