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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether European Court of Auditors reports have raised specific concerns on the information provided to the Marine Management Organisation on sales notes not providing sufficient data on catches by under 10m fishing vessels.

In September 2013 the European Commission (EC) issued the UK with a European Union (EU) Pilot infraction letter that included concerns over control of under 10m vessel landings in south east England. A subsequent independent survey undertaken in response to the EC’s concerns demonstrated that there were significant gaps in the data provided by sales notes and other documentation.