Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Goodwill Excerpts
Thursday 17th November 2022

(1 year, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the Chair of the Select Committee, Sir Robert.

Robert Goodwill Portrait Sir Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby) (Con)
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I thank my right hon. Friend the fisheries Minister for rapidly acceding to the Committee’s request to set up an independent panel to investigate the cause of the mass shellfish mortality off the north-east coast last autumn. When does he expect that panel to be established and when might he expect it to report its findings?

Mark Spencer Portrait Mark Spencer
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Obviously we want to set it up as soon as possible and we want it to assess all the available evidence. All interested parties want to make sure that we identify the challenge. A number of—if I can use the term—red herrings have been thrown into the mix, so establishing the true facts as rapidly as possible will be the ambition of this rapid inquiry.