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Written Question
Fisheries
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK is actively enforcing its fishing rights.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. All fishing vessels in UK waters are required to fish in accordance with UK laws and the conditions of their licences. As control and enforcement is a devolved matter, Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.


Written Question
Fisheries
Friday 8th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK is actively enforcing its fishing rights.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. All fishing vessels in UK waters are required to fish in accordance with UK laws and the conditions of their licences. As control and enforcement is a devolved matter, Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.


Written Question
Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Vacancies
Tuesday 9th November 2021

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of (1) haulage companies, and (2) other organisations involved in the goods supply chain, about recent disruptions to the UK supply networks.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Over recent months the Government, predominantly through the Department for Transport and Defra, has had a sustained dialogue with haulage companies and other organisations involved in the goods supply chain, as well as ministers and officials in the Devolved Administrations. This has included ministerial and industry roundtables, industry summits and tailored workshops.

Through this dialogue, we have been able to strengthen communication between government and industry and discuss issues and solutions, on a range of matters that have the potential to cause disruption to UK supply networks, especially with regard to the supply of food. This includes logistics issues at ports of entry for goods entering the UK, labour shortages across the supply chain (particularly lorry drivers), and the domestic supply of carbon dioxide.


Written Question
Fisheries: Norway
Tuesday 13th July 2021

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential bilateral fisheries agreement between the UK and Norway.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government's assessment following the conclusions of all fisheries negotiations for 2021 was delivered in a written ministerial statement to both Houses on 10 June.

The UK looks forward to bilateral discussions with Norway this autumn with a view to concluding fisheries arrangements for 2022. We will develop our negotiation priorities based on the scientific advice and will be engaging stakeholders over the coming months.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 23rd June 2021

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the proportion of goods consignments from the rest of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland that contain agri-food products.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In 2018, external purchases of all goods (including agrifood) into Northern Ireland totalled approximately £17 billion. Of that total, £10.4 billion (approximately 60%) came from Great Britain.

At present, the Government estimates that agrifood trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland totals approximately £2.5–£3.4 billion per annum.

These two metrics cannot be directly compared, but the Government believes that by value, the proportion of goods consignments from the rest of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland that contain agri-food products could range from approximately one quarter to one third.


Written Question
Fisheries
Tuesday 23rd February 2021

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enforce the UK's fishing rights.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. All fishing vessels in UK waters are required to fish in accordance with UK laws and the conditions of their licences. As control and enforcement is a devolved matter, Defra, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Irish Executive work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.

In England, the Government has undertaken a significant increase in the number of personnel and surveillance assets relating to fisheries protection with a sizeable increase in personnel, an increase in the number of planes available for aerial surveillance and an increase in the level of at-sea surveillance. This strong presence will deter against fisheries infringements, while also enabling our agencies to take robust action where they may occur. In addition, the Joint Maritime Security Centre has been established to enhance joint working between maritime agencies, increase information sharing across Government and maximise benefit from surveillance assets. This enables a more efficient, effective and prioritised maritime patrol enforcement.


Written Question
Fisheries
Thursday 26th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Netherlands, (2) Sweden, and (3) Iceland, about future access to British fishing stocks.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Negotiations are ongoing for a fisheries framework agreement with the EU. To date there have been no direct discussions with the Netherlands or Sweden around future access to British fishing stocks.

In the negotiations, we have been clear throughout that we want a simple, separate fisheries framework agreement which reflects our rights under international law and which provides for annual negotiations over access and fishing opportunities. Any access negotiated with the EU will only cover the UK's exclusive economic zone and not the 0-12nm zone. This remains the case.

On 11 November, the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iceland to enhance cooperation on fisheries matters. The MoU, which will come into effect on 1 January 2021, establishes a UK-Iceland Fisheries Dialogue whereby both countries can share best practice and cooperate on a range of issues, including product innovation and the traceability and marketing of seafood products. This MoU does not provide for fishing opportunities or access to either party's waters.


Written Question
Fishing Vessels
Tuesday 10th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fishing vessels, registered in England, are currently in operation in the UK.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

As of 1 October 2020, Marine Management Organisation statistics show that there are 2,613 English registered and licenced fishing vessels.


Written Question
Dairy Farming
Tuesday 25th October 2016

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made working with retailers, supermarkets and farmers to ensure the future of the dairy industry in the UK.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government has continued to work closely with farmers, retailers and manufacturers to help with the prolonged period of low prices experienced by the dairy industry in the last 2 years. Wholesale prices have started to improve sharply and we have also seen some improvements in the UK farmgate milk price, albeit from a very low level.

The long-term outlook for our dairy industry remains positive with strong growth in global milk demand forecast to continue until 2025.

The Government cannot dictate prices but has sought to help dairy farmers manage risk. We have introduced a new system of extended tax averaging, allowing farmers to choose whether to spread their tax over a two or five-year period. We are exploring opportunities for a dairy futures market and better branding and labelling in supermarkets.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) appointed in 2013 oversees relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers to ensure large supermarkets treat their suppliers lawfully and fairly. We have invited evidence on the case for extending the remit of the GCA to provide more support for farmers and will consider any representation we receive. The dairy industry’s Voluntary Code of Practice has also made a positive contribution in developing a fair and balanced dairy supply chain, helping farmers to secure fairer contracts with their milk buyers.

The Government is committed to working with industry to develop new market opportunities. Government itself is now buying more British food as a result of our reforms – more than 90% of the butter and cheese bought is made from British milk generating £11m of business for our dairy industry. Further afield, we have been opening new export markets where we know there is a huge demand for quality British dairy products, and we are working to maximise this opportunity by pushing the British dairy brand with the launch of the Great British Food Campaign, and designating 2016 “The Year of Great British Food”.