Fisheries Council Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateStephen Gilbert
Main Page: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)Department Debates - View all Stephen Gilbert's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(13 years, 10 months ago)
Commons Chamber Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle) 
        
    
        
    
        May I suggest speedier answers and quick questions? Then, we will get everybody in.
 Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD)
    
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD) 
        
    
        
    
        I congratulate my hon. Friend on resisting the more extreme ideas that came from the summit over the weekend. Does he accept, though, that one of the dangers is that as a result of the cuts in the number of days at sea, fishermen may not be able to catch their full quota? Will he undertake to keep the position under review and, if that proves to be the case, go back to Brussels in a year and argue for changes?
 Richard Benyon
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Richard Benyon 
        
    
        
    
        One of the most ridiculous outcomes of the penalty that was due to be imposed on British fishermen was that they would not have had enough days at sea to catch the quota they were allocated. We managed to stop that. We will constantly keep that under review and we are working hard to make sure that the problems that the fishing industry faces through the reductions in days will not continue in future years.