Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support the Government (a) has provided, (b) is providing and (c) plans to provide to assist in the purchase of equipment for the depuration of cockles for export to the EU from waters where depuration was not required prior to the end of the transition period; and what proportion of that support is available as (i) grants and (ii) loans.

There is no scientific or technical justification for the European Commission banning the import of Live Bivalve Molluscs (LBMs), including oysters, from class B waters (where depuration/processing is required after harvest). We are seeking urgent resolution on the European Commission’s decision.

Grant funding to support the purchase of equipment for depuration was previously made available across the UK through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In England similar support was delivered through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF), with equivalent funding provided to the devolved administrations. The MFF will continue to fund activities such as depuration as long as funding remains available under this scheme.

At the Spending Review the Government provided replacement funds to enable the four nations of the UK to deliver their own domestic funding schemes, tailored to the needs of their sector. In England, we intend to open a new scheme for delivering grant funding in April. This will include support for the purchase of new equipment for depuration. The devolved administrations are responsible for the design and delivery of their own schemes.

All of the support available has been provided through grants.