Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 26 April concerning the April Agriculture and Fisheries Council (HLWS631), what assessment they have made of the extent to which their welcome for the European Commission's proposed alignment of the Western Waters plan with the North Sea plan is compatible with the return of the UK's control over UK fishing waters following exit from the EU.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The multi-annual plans (MAPs) that we have helped develop would be without prejudice to our legal status as an independent coastal state after we leave the EU. After we leave the EU, the plans may form the basis for bilateral co-operation on the management of sustainable fisheries. However the setting of fishing opportunities and fishing regulations will cease to be an EU competence in UK waters.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 11 April (HL6658), whether the White Paper will include (1) proposals to provide financial support to the British fishing industry following 29 March 2019, and (2) measures to prevent overfishing of British waters by foreign factory ships.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We will be publishing a White Paper in due course, setting out our future vision for sustainable fisheries management. The White Paper will be followed by a Fisheries Bill which will ensure that the UK has the legal powers necessary to manage our fisheries in the future.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 23 November 2017 (HL3154), why they have now agreed that the UK will remain subject to the Common Agriculture and Fisheries Policy during the transition period; and what assistance they intend to provide the UK fishing industry immediately after 29 March 2019.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
On 19 March 2018, the UK and the EU reached agreement on the terms of an implementation period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. Under the agreement, for the Common Agricultural Policy, the UK will not participate in Basic Payment Scheme year 2020, but will continue with Pillar 2 schemes until programme closure.
However, the current fisheries rules will continue to apply during the implementation period. The government considers that agreement on an implementation period is necessary to give some sectors of the economy time to adjust and prepare for the UK's departure from the EU.
We will shortly publish a White Paper on the future of fisheries policy that will set out our plans to become an independent coastal state in control of our own Exclusive Economic Zone once the implantation period has ended.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their intention that the UK will not remain subject to the Common Agriculture and Fisheries Policy after 29 March 2019.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Leaving the EU and building a new partnership with the EU means that we will leave the Common Agricultural and Common Fisheries Policies.
As the Prime Minister set out in her Florence speech, we are proposing an implementation period to provide a bridge to our future relationship with the EU, providing certainty for businesses and individuals. The terms of that implementation period are a matter for negotiation.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 17 January (HLWS417), who, and under what authority, instructed EU member states to abstain from voting on a proposal by Japan, Cambodia and Ghana to create a fund to strengthen the capacity of governments of limited means to participate in the International Whaling Commission.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In the International Whaling Commission the EU Member States coordinate positions and are represented in negotiations by the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, in this case the Netherlands. Following exit from the EU, the UK will no longer be required to operate in this way, and will negotiate on the basis of UK positions.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to ensure that, following the UK's departure from the EU, fishing in British waters will be brought under the control of the UK.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK Government is committed to withdrawing from the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and putting a new fisheries regime in place. No decisions have yet been taken, although the Government remains committed to sustainable fisheries and the Discard Ban (Landing Obligation), as set out in its manifesto commitments.
The UK is bound by international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which gives coastal states rights and responsibilities over their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the resources within it.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting the fishing industry concerning its position following Brexit.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has met with representatives from the fishing industry concerning its position following EU exit and will continue to do so. This includes a round table discussion on 15 September 2016 which included representatives from the finfish and shellfish catching sectors, recreational fishermen and environmental NGOs.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Court of Auditors' report stating that EU farm projects to improve the environmental sustainability of EU farms are unreasonably costly; and what action they are taking to hold to account those who administer the Common Agricultural Policy.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Of the 28 projects reviewed in the four Member States by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the only ones viewed as cost effective overall were in England. The ECA found that payment rates in England took account of the wider economic benefits to the farmer which might result from making these investments. They also commented favourably about the high level of integration between these capital payments and multiannual land management activities which leads to better outcomes.
However, some projects reviewed in England were found not to be cost effective. We accept that in some cases the standard payment rates to farmers to help improve environmental sustainability may have been too high. We have reviewed our payment rates for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme. These have been independently verified. We will review standard payment rates again in 2017 to ensure that these types of payments are cost effective overall.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 17 November (HL3653), whether they will require all EU advertising notices to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and sums returned by way of grants.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The government has no plans to require all EU advertising notices for Structural and Investment Funds to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and sums returned by way of grants. However we will seek to remove the requirement to display notices in future reforms of the CAP.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 9 November (HL3057), whether they will now answer the additional questions asked about whether planning consent is required for farmers to erect notices advertising receipt of EU grants; and whether they will require all such advertising notices to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Local planning authorities can provide advice on whether consent is required for a notice in a specific location and decide whether such advertisements fall within any of the classes of advertisements that do not require express consent. General advice on advertisement consent is set out in national planning guidance on the GOV.UK website.
There is no requirement to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.