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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Ministerial Direction in relation to a pollack compensation scheme, published on 10 April 2024, whether he received legal advice on the potential for this scheme to set a precedent.

Legal advice was sought ahead of the Direction to provide support to commercially registered vessel owners who were reliant on pollack for at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023.

This is a unique situation; unlike other zero TAC stocks, there are some vessels that only target pollack, for whom a bycatch-only TAC could not help and whom are in some cases, highly dependent on pollack for their living.