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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the needs of sea users, in the context of food security.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

Food security is national security, and working closely with our fishing and seafood sectors to ensure they are vibrant, profitable and sustainable is key to achieving that.

Nonetheless, the Government needs to assess how we can best deliver our future targets and ambitions on food security, net zero, shipping, energy security, fishing and the environment, among others.

Through the Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme, Defra is engaging across Government and with marine users to improve our understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location.