Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
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 plans to take to help secure (a) existing investment in the distant waters fishing fleet on Humberside and (b) future investment in that fleet and associated infrastructure; and what comparative assessment he has made between (i) the combined value of those investments and (ii) the cost of establishing the proposed freeport across the Humber ports.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Significant funding is being made available by government to improve the infrastructure needed for the fishing industry, improve sustainability and help it adapt as we move away from the CFP.
The Government has announced £32.7 million in funding to support the seafood sector which meets the Government’s manifesto commitment to maintain funding for the sector. The new domestic funding scheme in England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, opened on 6 April. This scheme will support the long-term sustainable growth of the seafood sector and includes support to deliver improvements to vessels and to support port infrastructure.
In addition to this support, on Christmas Eve the Prime Minister announced a further £100 million that will support investment to modernise and rejuvenate the sector. This will include funding for infrastructure projects that support the development and modernisation of ports, harbours, and landing sites across the UK in order to land, process and market more sustainably managed fish.
The Government has also safeguarded investment in the sector by making up to £23 million available to support seafood businesses affected by the impact of Covid-19 and new trading conditions. With regards to the proposed freeport, no comparative assessment has been conducted. However, freeports will play a significant role in boosting trade, attracting inward investment and driving productive activity across the UK. This will level up communities across the country through increased employment opportunities. This is more important than ever as we begin to recover from the ongoing economic impacts of Covid-19.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of a potential loss of access to Arctic cod on (a) jobs and (b) investment in Humberside.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK remains in discussion with Norway on bilateral quota exchanges for 2021 across a range of stocks, including Arctic stocks. In conducting these discussions, the Government considers the interests of the entire UK and associated industries.
The Government will continue to work with all our fishing fleets and processors, so that they can take advantage of future opportunities.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of incorporating into future fisheries agreements between the UK and Norway (a) the terms of the agreement established in the Oporto letters and (b) all other terms of the existing agreements between the EU and Norway.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK-Norway fisheries framework agreement, signed on 30 September 2020, provides the legal framework for annual negotiations between the UK and Norway. These negotiations concern the exchange of quota between the parties and access to waters. This agreement respects other treaties to which the UK is already party.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
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 were (a) received and (b) granted by the Marine Management Organisation for funding from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund from statutory harbour authorities in each of the last five years; and how much funding (a) each applicant was applying for and (b) was granted.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Since 2014, there have been 26 applications from statutory harbour authorities, of which a total of £3.2 million of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) has been awarded to beneficiaries by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). A breakdown for each of the last five years is as follows:
Approved in year | No. of projects | EMFF £m |
2015 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | 7 | 0.4 |
2017 | 7 | 1.4 |
2018 | 7 | 1.1 |
2019 | 5 | 0.3 |
Total | 26 | 3.2 |
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money was spent on (a) administration and (b) funding for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund in each of the last five years for which data is available.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Since the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund opened in 2014, the annual cost of administrating the fund in England has been approximately £0.7 million. A total of £34.8 million grant funding has been paid out from the overall scheme, including technical assistance costs. A breakdown of funding paid out since 2014 is as follows:
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Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
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 has commissioned or gathered on the effect of open loop scrubbers on sediment quality in UK waters; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Department has not commissioned research or gathered scientific evidence concerning the effect of open loop scrubber systems (designed to remove a range of contaminants from a ship’s exhaust gases) on sediments in UK waters.
The Department is aware of the increasing interest in this area and of the potential effects on the receiving coastal/marine environment due to wastewater discharges from these systems. As more robust, scientific evidence emerges, Defra will assess the risks to sediment and seawater quality.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been since 2010 under the Hunting Act 2004.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Hunting Act 2004 in England and Wales from 2010 to 2015 (latest available) is available in the outcomes by offence tables in the annual publication, which is linked below. The relevant section is ‘121A – Offences under the Hunting Act 2004’ in the summary non motoring offences section. Statistics covering 2016 are scheduled for publication in May 2017.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015