Draft Merchant Shipping (Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships) Order 2022

John Hayes Excerpts

Monday 7th November 2022 General Committees

[Mike Kane]

Pope Francis reminded us in “Laudato Si’” that we are leaving an enormous pile of filth on this planet, so anything that we can do to reduce that filth and to ensure that it does not leach into the food chain of marine life is extraordinarily important. My hon. Friend is right to intervene to make that point.

[Sir John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings) (Con)]

With your indulgence, Mrs Murray, I want to identify the problem of industrial fishing, which you will know a great deal about. It has precisely the same effect on the ecosystem that the hon. Gentleman talked about, and particularly on smaller sea creatures of the kind he mentioned. That is an aside, but it is relevant, given what we are discussing. I know that you will want to bring us back to the subject in hand.

[The Chair]

Absolutely. I think the shadow Minister would like to stick to the confines of the draft statutory instrument.