Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many foreign-flagged vessels are licensed to fish in UK waters; and if he will take steps to ensure that UK fishermen have full access to UK fisheries.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA), overseen by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), licenses all foreign vessels fishing in UK waters. As of 2025, 1,758 foreign-flagged vessels, mainly from the EU, are licensed to operate in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The UK fleet includes over 4,500 licensed and registered vessels, all eligible to access national fishing opportunities.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department is supporting to facilitate the sustainable expansion of British (a) deep-sea species, (b) aquaculture and (c) other fisheries.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is committed to supporting the UK fishing industry in line with our domestic and international obligations, including those in the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. Defra routinely supports significant scientific research to facilitate the sustainable management of fisheries, including through investments in the Seafood Innovation Fund and the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships Scheme under the UK Seafood Fund. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (a Defra Executive Agency) also support a variety of innovative solutions to ensure a sustainable future for our seas, such as a recent project on the nitrogen and carbon sequestration potential of mussel and seaweed aquaculture.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the modelling used for the proposed changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced UIN 29334 published on 5th February 2025 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-02-05/29334.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what cross-Departmental research his Department has commissioned into the link between (a) debt, (b) benefit sanctions, (c) child maintenance arrears and (d) suicide risk; and what mental health interventions are in place for people in financial hardship.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the effect that financial pressures, such as debt collection practices, benefit sanctions, and child maintenance arrears, can have on some people’s mental health and their risk of developing suicidal thoughts.
The cross-Government, cross-sector suicide prevention strategy for England includes financial difficulty as a priority area for action and sets out work Government departments are doing to address this. For example, the Department for Work and Pensions has committed both to strengthening its guidance for staff to better support customers who disclose that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, and mandating mental health awareness training for all frontline staff.
We have also worked with colleagues at HM Treasury and the Money and Pensions Service to promote the mental health Breathing Space scheme, which gives those with mental ill health facing financial difficulties space to receive debt advice, without pressure from creditors or mounting debts.
This is in addition to the mental health support available through general practitioners, NHS Talking Therapies, and NHS 111.