Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when Scotland's allocation of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will be made available to the Scottish Government.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the decision to allocate Barnett funding to the devolved administrations for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced on 20 October 2025, in the context of the press notice entitled Government to launch £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, published on 19 May 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
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 oral contribution of the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs of 23 October 2025 during the Urgent Question on Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, whether her engagement with the seafood sector included the Scottish seafood sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray 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 has been made of the potential impact of Scotland's allocation under the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund on the development of the Scottish seafood sector's exports.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Funding for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund is being allocated using the Barnett formula, in line with HM Treasury guidance. Each Devolved Government is responsible for determining how its share of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund supports its fishing and seafood sectors, including exports. Devolved Governments can choose to target investment in line with their local priorities and economic context.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray 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 she is taking to ensure the accuracy of data used by her Department, in the context of the letter entitled Statements on Water Quality by Professor Dame Carol Propper, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority published on 28 October 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The accuracy of data and statistics are crucial for the development and monitoring of Defra policies, and crucial for ensuring public trust in those statistics. All Official Statistics in Defra are therefore produced in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of 5 September 2025 from the Hon Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, case reference SL03537, on water quality in Scotland.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued as soon as possible.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray 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 she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the letter entitled Statements on Water Quality issued by Professor Dame Carol Propper, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, published on 28 October 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra policies are based on the best available analysis and evidence, including official statistics. All Official Statistics in Defra are produced in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. Defra acknowledges the statement from the OSR and its findings.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
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 UK Statistics Authority publication entitled Letter from Professor Dame Carol Propper to Seamus Logan MP – statements on water quality published on 28 October 2025, and the Secretary of State's oral contribution of 4 September 2025, Official Report column 422, what the evidential basis is for his statement that water pollution levels in Scotland are worse than those in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The former Secretary of State’s statement on the quality of water in Scotland compared to England was based on statistics from Scottish Water, Water Industry Commission for Scotland, Ofwat, and the Environment Agency.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she had discussions with the Scottish government prior to her announcement relating to the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund on 20 October 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra Ministers discussed the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund at the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, which was attended by Defra Ministers, other UK Government Ministers, and Devolved Government Ministers. At that meeting, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that respective shares of the Fund should be devolved and administered by the Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement on 20 October 2025, Minister Eagle wrote to Devolved Governments setting out the devolved allocations of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53765 on Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, whether he has held discussions with his counterpart in the Scottish government on this fund.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Fishing & Coastal Growth Fund will be investing £360 million over the next 12 years. Ministers are committed to working closely with the industry and local communities in order to ensure investment is targeted to where it is needed most. As part of that planned engagement we will work closely with Devolved Governments. We will look to provide more details on the fund, including devolution, at the earliest possible opportunity.