Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of business preparedness for future controls on the import of (a) food and (b) fresh products from the EU.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following publication of the draft Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) in April 2023, the Government ran a six-week engagement period with industry. The feedback received is reflected in the final BTOM, notably the decision to delay implementation by three months, to January 2024, giving businesses more time to prepare. Before implementation of controls, awareness of and readiness for new controls will be boosted through a series of engagement events. Further guidance will be available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Government policy on visas for employment in the fishing industry on the cost of fish.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s longstanding position has been that foreign nationals need permission to work in UK waters and that transit visas have never been an appropriate visa to use to work in the UK. There has been no change in our position with this regard. The Government recognises there will be adjustment required for the industry to become compliant with the immigration system and has offered a generous visa support package to the sector. We are working closely with the fishing industry and Seafish to monitor labour shortages and their impact on the cost of fish.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the quantity of exported food that has been wasted due to delays in inspections at UK borders in the last 12 months.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 May 2023 to PQ 183339.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the quantity of food that has spoiled while awaiting export checks at UK borders that were introduced as a result of the UK's departure from the EU since those checks were introduced.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no export checks implemented at the UK border for food as a result of EU exit, and so no assessment has been made.
However, products are now subject to checks at the EU border which are the responsibility of the EU authorities. We do not have an assessment of the number of products detained, but Defra has functions in place to support UK exporters if their consignments are detained at the EU border in order to facilitate this trade and minimise disruption.
The APHA Centre for International Trade has a dedicated Exports Team who are available to support GB stakeholders and provide advice and support where it is required. We have systems in place so that any detained consignments are dealt with as a priority. In respect of any complex exports queries or detainments, we will liaise with Veterinary and Defra Policy colleagues to ensure that the appropriate advice and support is given.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of fishermen.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through our UK Seafood Fund, we are investing up to £10 million to support projects that will develop new courses and improve the quality of current courses to attract new entrants and upskill existing workers. In our first funding round, we awarded just over £1 million with nearly half of the funding allocated to Scotland.
In Shetland, we awarded just over £186,000 to the University of Highlands and Islands that will partner with industry and schools to pilot courses aimed at introducing 13 to 16 year-olds to the seafood sector and seafood careers and help 16 to 18 year-olds transition into the seafood industry. The courses will also made available to new adult entrants.
A second funding round, which will provide further funding to improve the quality and accessibility of training facilities is open until 19 May and I would encourage applications. More details can be found here: UK Seafood Fund: Skills and Training Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO). I last met representatives of the NFFO in Newlyn on 5 April.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications have been made for compensation for lost sales under the Seafood Disruption Support Scheme; what proportion of applications to that scheme were accepted for payment; what proportion of successful applications to that scheme were paid out to the full amount requested; and what the average payout was to firms in receipt of compensation payments under that scheme.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Seafood Disruption Support Scheme (SDSS) was launched in February 2021 to help seafood businesses cover a proportion of verifiable losses that occurred during export to the single market in January. The scheme was designed in line with Government public funding principles, which apply strict conditions and evidence requirements to business to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent responsibly. In February the scheme received 119 applications across the UK with 31 applicants meeting the criteria for the scheme. Successful applicants were eligible for 50% of their verifiable loss, up to a value of £100,000. Defra can confirm that the total amount delivered through the scheme was £377,138.11.
Alongside the SDSS, Defra also delivered the Seafood Response Fund (SRF), which made payments to cover the fixed costs of catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses. The SRF provided funding to some businesses which were unsuccessful under the SDSS scheme.
In total over £22 million was delivered through both UK-wide and devolved emergency schemes in 2021, of which £16 million was provided directly by Defra.
Financial support was only one of the many actions taken by this Government to alleviate the pressures faced in early 2021 as a result of export disruption. Defra’s priority has always been to keep exports moving – which is why the Government acted swiftly to form the Seafood Exports Working Group and the Scottish Seafood Exports Taskforce, working closely with industry to identify and address priority issues to minimise disruption to trade flows. Through ongoing engagement with the EU, Defra has been able to resolve a number of issues with the EU and improved consistency between Border Control Posts, such as certification for organic salmon, ink colour on export health certificates (EHC), and which species are exempt from catch certificate requirements.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve his Department's response times to correspondence from members of the public.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government recognises the importance of responding to members of the public in an effective and timely manner, and the Cabinet Office published an updated Guide to Handling Correspondence for Government departments and agencies in July 2021.
The guidance reasserts the standards for handling correspondence, including a 20 working day deadline for departments to respond to members of the public, criteria outlining when a response to a member of the public is required, and when a piece of correspondence from a member of the public should be transferred to another department. Following publication of the updated guidance, all departments have been reminded that they must follow the processes outlined in the guidance.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that fishing limits are set in line with scientific recommendations.
Answered by George Eustice
Scientific advice received from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) about the condition of fish stocks underpins the process of negotiating sustainable total allowable catches (TACs). The UK position is developed under the principle that all proposals must be scientifically justified in light of ICES advice, and deliver UK objectives for sustainable fisheries.
We also draw on bespoke scientific advice when developing specific management measures. For example scientists at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) evaluated a proposed package of technical measures for a previously overexploited Nephrops stock in the Farn Deeps, and advised how the package might reduce fishing mortality. Following the introduction of measures informed by this scientific advice, the stock is now being fished within maximum sustainable yield levels.
The UK has always been a strong advocate for MSY both in international agreements and in negotiations over catch limits for stocks that we have an interest in. We remain therefore committed to continuing to work under the principle of MSY and restore stocks to healthy conditions as quickly as possible, including taking a precautionary approach where necessary. This commitment is confirmed by the Fisheries Bill.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the transportation of livestock from the UK to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To export into the EU, the UK will need to be listed as a third country by the EU. We have applied for that status and are now awaiting a response from the European Commission.
If we leave the EU without a deal and are listed as a third country, export health certificates, signed by an official vet or other authorised signatory, will be required for all live animals to pass into the EU and they will need to travel through a border inspection post in the EU.
Last year we also issued a call for evidence on a potential ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and on improving the welfare of livestock during transportation. The Farm Animal Welfare Committee is considering the evidence received and will report in due course.