EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Fishing Industry

Debate between George Eustice and Martyn Day

Thursday 14th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice]

I can. We have the freedom to regulate through technical measures in our own waters, and we have banned pulse trawling.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP) [V]]

With fish exporters paying over £500 or £600 a day in extra paperwork since the Tory Brexit deal came into force, in what world does the Secretary of State believe that this represents frictionless, barrier-free trade, as the Prime Minister claimed the deal delivers?

[George Eustice]

There are no tariff barriers. We secured an agreement through the trade and co-operation agreement that means tariff-free trade in all goods, including fish.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Martyn Day

Thursday 26th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice]

I always advise people to look at what I actually said, rather than at the Twitter attacks on what I might have said. I never said that specialist sheep farmers and crofters should diversify into beef; I explicitly said that some of the 7,000 mixed beef and sheep enterprises might choose to produce more beef and less lamb if the price signal suggested that they should.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP) [V]]

The Scottish Seafood Association has joined other food and drink leaders with a recent letter to the Prime Minister. The message is clear: tariffs mean enormous damage to our industry, and that is on top of covid losses of an estimated £3 billion. So when will the Minister reveal details of the financial support that is so clearly desperately needed?

[George Eustice]

Tariffs on fish, particularly the fish that we export, are typically far lower than on many agrifoods. The average tariff on the shellfish that we export is about 8%. Obviously, we would prefer there to be zero tariffs on all goods, and that is the offer that the Government have made to the European Union—in both directions—but the fishing sector generally recognises that, if it needed to pay tariffs, it could pay those tariffs, and the European Union would have to face higher prices.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Martyn Day

Thursday 7th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice]

I very regularly meet members of the FUW, and we absolutely recognise the importance of tariff-free trade with the EU. That is why this Government’s clear position is that we want a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

7. What recent discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) National Farmers Union of Scotland on EU convergence uplift funding.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Martyn Day

Thursday 7th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice)]

Until negotiations conclude and the UK leaves the EU, all existing arrangements remain in place, including rural development programmes across the UK. It will be for a new Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet to consider the future shape of rural development once the UK leaves the EU.

[Martyn Day]

The Minister may recall that Scotland voted to remain in the EU in the referendum. Will he commit that nobody in Scotland who benefited from the Scottish rural development programme will lose out on funding?

[George Eustice]

As I have said, while we remain in the EU, all existing arrangements remain in place, including our current rural development programmes. Nothing changes until negotiations have been concluded and a new partnership with the EU is put in place.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Martyn Day

Thursday 17th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

T7. Given that the position of the farming Minister is for the UK to leave the EU, what measures does he believe should be in place and how will he ensure financial assistance for Scottish farmers should there be a Brexit?

[George Eustice]

As I explained earlier and as the hon. Gentleman knows, the formal Government position is to remain in the European Union, but the Prime Minister himself made it clear this week that were the country to decide to leave the Government would of course continue to support British agriculture.