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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they or the Environment Agency are taking steps to support the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group in stocking the River Ure with salmon; and if not, why.

The Environment Agency wishes to work constructively with both River Ure salmon fishing interests and other interested collaborative partner organisations in developing a well thought out salmon restoration plan for the River Ure that takes account of the need for habitat restoration in combination with a suitably approved hatchery scheme to support salmon population recovery. This is despite there being no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that the previous Ure salmon stocking programme has had a significant influence on River Ure salmon stock performance.