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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to use the UK fishing fleet to collect plastics from the seas around the UK on days when they are restricted from fishing.

There is no scheme at this time to financially support fishing fleets in collecting litter from the sea during periods when fishing activity might be restricted. We encourage Fishing for Litter: an initiative which supports fishers in Scotland and Southwest England in collecting litter during their usual fishing trips. We also recognise the work that the many NGOs and charitable groups do in conducting beach cleans and litter collection at sea. We are reviewing what more can be done to reduce plastic in the marine environment and will set out our plans shortly in our Resources and Waste Strategy.