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 impact of suspending participation in the arbitration mechanism of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement in disputes over sustainable fishing policies on (a) trade and (b) legal outcomes.

The EU has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The UK is defending its decision. The dispute proceedings are ongoing.