Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support fishers who are experiencing losses over the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) longer term.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the seafood sector receives the support it needs to build resilience, recover from the pandemic and adapt to new trading conditions as an independent coastal state. This is why we have announced a range of support to the sector aimed at addressing short, medium, and long-term funding needs. The funding package of up to £23 million, which earlier this year was used to deliver temporary support schemes to seafood businesses affected by Covid-19 and new trading conditions, demonstrates the Government's ability to act decisively and address short-term funding needs where necessary.

£32.7 million has been made available to support the seafood sector this financial year. This meets the Government's manifesto commitment to maintain funding for the sector and enables each of the four administrations of the UK to deliver their own domestic funding schemes The new domestic funding scheme in England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme will support the long-term sustainable growth of the seafood sector and initially focuses on helping businesses adapt to new conditions and opportunities arising from leaving the EU and supporting their on-going recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.

The Prime Minister has announced that an additional £100 million will be made available across the UK for transformative seafood projects that will rejuvenate the industry and our coastal communities. It will be used to invest in: modernising and expanding infrastructure; the science and data needed to ensure a sustainable sector; and the training required to ensure the workforce has the capacity, skills and expertise required for a thriving and prosperous industry. More detail on this funding will be made available in due course.