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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish a strategy on the roll out of fleet-wide remote electronic monitoring of fishing vessels.

Defra ran a call for evidence on the use of REM in English fisheries last autumn and published the responses on 7 May. The call for evidence indicated that there are differing views on the use of REM. Defra will engage with stakeholders further to consider how to take forward a future policy.

The Government has been clear that we see the benefits of expanding the use of remote electronic monitoring (REM), but we must develop the right policy for our industry and the marine environment.

Decisions on timing and coverage will be taken as part of wider policy development, on which we will consult in due course.

Enforcement and scientific monitoring are devolved matters and remote electronic monitoring is therefore a devolved competence. This information relates to England only.