Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of forthcoming legislation relating to IVMS licensing on small-scale shellfish fisheries.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All English under 12 metre fishing vessels have been required to have a functioning iVMS system on board since 12 May 2025. iVMS provides vessel level data on position, course, and speed for under12 m English fishing vessels including those involved in small-scale shellfish fisheries. This information will be used to support decisions on fisheries management planning, conservation efforts, statistical and scientific analysis, compliance, and law enforcement.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) sustainability and (b) economic resilience of small-scale shellfish fisheries post-Brexit.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Fisheries Act 2020 enshrines in law the Government’s commitment to sustainable fishing, including to produce Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) to ensure our stocks are being fished sustainably and the marine environment is protected.
Through FMPs we are working to further develop and implement effective, evidence-based management to deliver long-term sustainability of our important shellfish fisheries.
Once the new partnership with the EU is implemented, we expect the SPS Agreement will allow exports of undepurated Class B live bivalve molluscs from GB to the EU to resume.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of levels of illegal shellfish harvesting in (a) English coastal waters and (b) Whitstable.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), and other organisations to make sure the appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place. Given the multijurisdictional nature of shellfish harvesting, particularly in areas such as Whitstable, a coordinated approach is essential. In this region, the MMO, the local IFCA, Environmental Health officers, and the police work jointly to monitor shellfish harvesting activities. Where necessary, enforcement action is taken to uphold regulatory standards and protect marine resources.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure inshore fishing voices are equitably represented in Fisheries Management Plans and Marine Spatial Planning Decisions.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Inshore voices are considered across all fisheries management through support from regional fisheries groups, the Marine Management Organisation’s network of regional fisheries managers, meetings of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities and other routine engagement.
Marine plans should be used to guide decision makers on how to balance different interests in the sea, including fisheries. National policy statements also set out how marine activities should be considered.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle illegal shellfish harvesting in English coastal waters.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), and other organisations to make sure the appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place. Given the multijurisdictional nature of shellfish harvesting, particularly in areas such as Whitstable, a coordinated approach is essential. In this region, the MMO, the local IFCA, Environmental Health officers, and the police work jointly to monitor shellfish harvesting activities. Where necessary, enforcement action is taken to uphold regulatory standards and protect marine resources.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review conflict of interest rules within the IFCA framework to ensure the industry appointed members can meaningfully contribute to decisions whilst maintaining transparency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The statutory report on the IFCA conduct and operations was published in February along with the Government response. Ensuring transparency in decision making processes was a key improvement. Defra are working with IFCAs to action recommendations. In particular developing consistent guidance supporting industry members will develop including avoiding conflicts of interest.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure full and transparent consultation with the under 14m fishing fleet before mandating Remote Electronic Monitoring as a licence condition.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) in English waters is in the early stages of development, concentrating on vessels over 10 metres in length. Until 2030, we will be working with volunteers in our early adopter phases to design and test systems. We will continue to work in collaboration with industry and individual members throughout this period, ensuring their views are represented.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 conduct a review of Southern Water’s stakeholder engagement with local fisheries on (a) pollution and discharge events and (b) development in Thames Estuary.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is putting customers at the heart of the water system. While stakeholder engagement is a matter for individual water companies, customers will be able to hold water company bosses to account through powerful new customer panels that are being developed. Ministers have met with all company boards to ensure they understand the Government’s drive to transform the water sector and to hear how they plan to meet their obligations to customers and the environment.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Ministry of Defence to deliver the target to protect and manage 30 per cent of the land and sea for nature by 2030.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To deliver our 30by30 commitments Defra works closely with arms-length bodies and other departments, including the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
This includes through the National Estate for Nature Group, of which the MoD, which manages extensive estates, is a member.
Natural England and other Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs) also support the MoD in managing land to enhance biodiversity, and in minimising the impacts of their operations on Marine Protected Areas. We are working across Government, including with the MoD, to publish our delivery strategy for 30by30 on land in England.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of changing the date for the award of the Wider Service Medal from 2018 to 2011.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Wider Service Medal was introduced to provide medallic recognition for operational activity that delivers a significant and direct contribution to UK objectives in rigorous circumstances, but not necessarily in roles exposed to physical risk.
The date of 11 December 2018 was determined as a clearly defined point in time when Her Late Majesty The Queen approved the initial concept of the Wider Service Medal. At that time there was no intention to include any retrospection, so using December 2018 as the start date for the Medal is considered a balanced approach that recognises the original discussions and Her Late Majesty’s initial approval.
The Department has no plans to review the date of December 2018.