European Union Bill

Ian Paisley Excerpts

Tuesday 25th January 2011 Commons Chamber

My hon. Friends the Members for Witham (Priti Patel) and for St Austell and Newquay (Stephen Gilbert) both spoke about the common fisheries policy, as did the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Austin Mitchell). In addressing amendment 81, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Witham, I acknowledge from the start that the Government completely accept that the common fisheries policy has major problems—or, in plain English, that it has failed and continues to fail. It has failed to deliver on conservation and has not protected fish stocks. At the same time, it has failed to provide an adequate sustainable living for our fishing communities. That is why the United Kingdom has been at the forefront in calling for radical reform of the policy. The Fisheries Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), will be pressing for fundamental changes to the policy at the forthcoming negotiations, to simplify and decentralise fisheries management. However, as was pointed out in an intervention from the Democratic Unionist Benches, when we talk about decentralisation, it is important that we take account of the interests of the devolved Administrations in the different parts of the United Kingdom.

[Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP)]

rose—

[Mr Lidington]

If the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, given the time allowed, I must first try to do justice to the points raised in the debate.

What we are pressing for will mean member states taking more responsibility for management decisions, and working together regionally to agree appropriate measures. It will also mean giving member states the tools to apply conservation measures, and holding them to account for implementing these, regardless of which nations fish in their waters. A draft proposal for reform of the CFP is due to be published in May or June this year, but so far there is no indication, in any of the many discussions that have taken place on the subject, that the Commission will propose changes to the powers of member states in relation to nautical limits. I can assure my hon. Friends and the hon. Member for Great Grimsby that the Government would vigorously oppose any such move on the part of the Commission.

However, in respect of amendment 81, I should say to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham that, for better or worse, the European Union has had competence over fisheries matters for more than 30 years, so there is no transfer of competence from the UK to the EU involved here. Changes to the CFP are agreed by qualified majority voting and co-decision with the European Parliament. Amendment 81 could therefore result in a referendum being held on a decision that this country could not subsequently block.