Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether fishing clubs located on private land can continue to operate under Tier 3 of the public health restrictions which come into effect on 2 December 2020.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.
Organised outdoor sport is exempt from legal gathering limits across all levels. This means that organised outdoor team sport and outdoor exercise classes, as well as outdoor licensed physical activity, can happen with any number of participants, as long as undertaken in line with published COVID-secure guidance. This includes fishing clubs located on private land.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether angling will be included in the proposed three tier covid-19 restrictions list.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government understands the importance of physical exercise and spending time outdoors.
Under the current restrictions people can go fishing alone or with no more than five others, in public outdoor spaces. People should always follow social distancing guidelines when encountering others. Outdoor angling events can also take place, if they are managed by a licenced individual, in line with Government guidance.
We are seeing COVID-19 cases rise at a rapid rate across the country and, it is vital everyone plays their part by following the measures in place. As we have shown, we are prepared to take action decisively when it is necessary to control the virus, and the Government will, as always, be led by the science.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to prevent illegal angling in Devon.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Environment Agency (EA) is the regulating authority for freshwater angling in England. The EA reports statistics across the operational area of Devon and Cornwall so is unable to specify figures for Devon only.
A rod licence is required to go freshwater fishing and the income from licence sales goes back into enhancing fishing, with a proportion dedicated to enforcement. This year up to 31 July the EA sold 16,661 rod licences in the Devon and Cornwall operational area generating £434,222 of revenue.
Unfortunately, in Devon and across the country not everyone who goes fishing has a licence. The EA estimates one offence for every 25 anglers checked nationally and in Devon and Cornwall annual evasion rates are estimated at 4%.
Covering Devon and Cornwall, the EA has four Fisheries Enforcement Officers in post, with another in recruitment, who are responsible for checking anglers have the correct licence. In the 2019-20 financial year, 702 licences were checked across Devon and Cornwall - of these 24 people were prosecuted, two were cautioned and one formally warned for offences of not having a licence or not complying with the conditions of their licence. The number of prosecutions in Devon and Cornwall has remained at a similar level since 2016.
Rod licence checks were temporarily suspended during the coronavirus lockdown period in line with Government advice to help protect EA staff and others. The EA maintained links with partners during this time and has now recommenced rod licence checking and other field-based operations, in line with latest Government guidance and safe ways of working.
To deter illegal angling, the EA works with the police and engages with the public to provide advice and guidance and gather intelligence. It also works with local clubs and the Angling Trust to raise awareness and support local projects to improve habitats for fish and promote angling.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 May 2020 to Question 43023 on Angling: Coronavirus, whether the Government's guidance on angling has changed as a result of the Prime Minister’s covid-19 announcement on 10 May 2020.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 11 May, Government published updated guidance on lockdown measures, including updates on how people can remain active. From Wednesday 13 May, people are allowed to go outside more than once a day for exercise as long as they are following social distancing guidelines, alone, with members of their household, or with one person from outside of their household. People must still only exercise in groups of no more than two people, unless they are exercising with their household.
All outdoor sports and physical activities are now permitted, without time limit, including angling. Swimming in an open-air swimming pool is an exception, however, this does not apply to individuals’ private swimming pools within their own homes.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what steps his Department is taking to enable the early resumption of angling.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Every citizen must stay alert to protect the NHS and save lives. From Wednesday 13 May, angling can resume in England, as long as participants are with their household or on their own and follow social distancing guidance.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether angling is a permissible activity during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Every citizen must stay alert to protect the NHS and save lives. From Wednesday 13 May, angling can resume in England, as long as participants are with their household or on their own and follow social distancing guidance.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the safety of resuming coarse angling, whilst maintaining social distancing, during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that people continue to be active during the Covid-19 outbreak to support their physical and mental health
Government advice on how people can remain active is clear. People are able to leave home for basic exercise once a day, for example for a walk, a cycle or a run, provided it is done in a way that meets the latest guidance on social distancing and advice on unnecessary social contact. This means it can be done by people on their own or with their households, not in groups. It is important that people do not go outside unless they have to, and that when they do, they are spending as little time outside as possible, and avoiding unnecessary travel.
Government is carefully reviewing the lockdown guidance over the coming days and weeks.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting recreational fishing as a form of permissible physical exercise while covid-19 social distancing measures are in place.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that people continue to be active during the Covid-19 outbreak to support their physical and mental health
Government advice on how people can remain active is clear. People are able to leave home for basic exercise once a day, for example for a walk, a cycle or a run, provided it is done in a way that meets the latest guidance on social distancing and advice on unnecessary social contact. This means it can be done by people on their own or with their households, not in groups. It is important that people do not go outside unless they have to, and that when they do, they are spending as little time outside as possible, and avoiding unnecessary travel.
Government is carefully reviewing the lockdown guidance over the coming days and weeks.