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 make it his Department's position at the December Fisheries Council that all fishing limits in 2018 should be set in line with scientific advice provided by ICES.

The Government supports setting fishing opportunities for 2018 in line with the maximum sustainable yield and based on the advice from ICES, wherever possible. However, we recognise the need for certain exceptions, such as the need for flexibility in mixed fisheries.

The setting of limits for individual fish stocks is determined by agreements at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council. A list of stocks of relevance to the UK, and their agreed respective fishing limits, will be published in January.