Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 2026 bass catch limits on the South West’s inshore fishing fleet.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sustainable catch limits for European Seabass are set at the UK level through UK/EU annual negotiations within the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). No region-specific assessments are carried out as negotiations set sustainable catch limits at a coastal state level across the stock’s natural range.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of boats that caught over 6.8t of bass in 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation, who hold catch data, have confirmed three UK vessels caught over 6.8t of bass in 2025.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 Marine Management Organisation’s statutory guidance document entitled Variation issued: Thursday 01 January 2026, updated on December 29th, 2025, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment on increasing the bass threshold for (a) rod and line fishing and (b) catch net.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No impact assessments have been produced because catch limits are agreed through UK/EU annual negotiations and limits cover all permitted gears at a coastal state level, as well as across the stock’s natural range.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impacts of the decision to reject JNCC's recommendations on seals' ability to rest undisturbed at haul out sites, following JNCC's Seventh Quinquennial Review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our grey and harbour seals face a range of threats and pressures, including potential impacts from disturbance at haul out sites. However, the best available evidence indicates that the effects of disturbance can be variable and are highly site specific and context dependent, with evidence of UK-wide population level impacts less certain.
Although the decision was made to reject JNCC’s recommendations following the seventh quinquennial review of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, seals remain protected under a suite of legislation which make it an offence to take, injure, capture, or kill seals. Seals are also safeguarded from disturbance where they are a notified feature of designated conservation sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence her Department considered in deciding to reject the proposed amendments to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, recommended following JNCC's Seventh Quinquennial Review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the seventh quinquennial review, JNCC and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies provided independent, science-based recommendations on species conservation. In considering that advice Defra took a broader perspective, including reflecting existing legal duties and the practical implications of changing a species’ protection. After a careful review of the entirety of JNCC’s advice, for many species there was no clear evidence of how legal protection afforded under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 would benefit them, or what the implications would be. However, the data and evidence provided within the advice is invaluable to Defra in shaping wider government activity and action which will benefit species conservation and recovery.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will launch an independent public inquiry into the Lowermoor Water Poisoning with scope to cover (a) the role water privatisation played in the events, (b) the handling of the incident by Government and (c) reports of pressure applied to those affected by the poisoning to settle.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will consider the potential merits of a financial (a) redress or (b) scheme, for those affected by the Lowermoor Water Poisoning incident.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 press release entitled Government steps in to save historic rights of way from being lost to the nation, published on 26 December 2024, what her Department's planned timeline is for the (a) planning stages and (b) implementation of the nine new river walks.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has repealed the 2031 cut-off date, safeguarding hundreds of miles of historic rights of way so they remain available for public enjoyment. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.
The Department plans to designate nine National River Walks across England are progressing. Defra is working with stakeholders to identify suitable locations and develop a delivery mechanism. Several delivery options are under consideration, and further details on planning and implementation will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of recent (a) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and (b) other fisheries support schemes funding rounds on the equitableness of allocations between fishing business of different sizes including (a) larger, (b) smaller and (c) independent fishing businesses; and whether she will incorporate the lessons learned into future such funding rounds.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra carries out independent evaluation of all fishing and seafood sector grant schemes to ensure lessons are learned, including on the suitability of application processes. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) administered the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) under the UK Seafood Fund (UKSF). Evaluation of the UKSF is ongoing and Cefas are currently supporting this. To improve access to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme for all businesses, an annual cap was introduced to try to distribute support more equitably and enable more applicants to secure funding. Looking ahead, we will look to incorporate lessons learned into the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and Defra officials are now in the process of engaging with industry to help with the design of the fund and to make the application process as fair for all stakeholders, including small inshore fishing businesses. We are aware that small inshore fishing businesses can require more time and support with funding applications, so these are factors we will take into consideration when setting up the fund.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the suitability of the application process for (a) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science funding and (b) other fisheries support schemes to small inshore fishing businesses including due to (i) time availability and (ii) other capacity constraints.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra carries out independent evaluation of all fishing and seafood sector grant schemes to ensure lessons are learned, including on the suitability of application processes. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) administered the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) under the UK Seafood Fund (UKSF). Evaluation of the UKSF is ongoing and Cefas are currently supporting this. To improve access to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme for all businesses, an annual cap was introduced to try to distribute support more equitably and enable more applicants to secure funding. Looking ahead, we will look to incorporate lessons learned into the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and Defra officials are now in the process of engaging with industry to help with the design of the fund and to make the application process as fair for all stakeholders, including small inshore fishing businesses. We are aware that small inshore fishing businesses can require more time and support with funding applications, so these are factors we will take into consideration when setting up the fund.