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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of investment in fish processing infrastructure.

The Government works closely with the processing sector across the UK and recognises that it is integral to the success of the wider UK seafood supply chain. The Government has supported the processing sector through a variety of initiatives, including investments in infrastructure through funding schemes such as the UK Seafood Fund. These efforts aim to ensure the long-term resilience and competitiveness of the UK seafood supply chain.

The Government monitors levels of investment through mechanisms such as Seafish’s annual surveys. We recognise that levels of private investment in the seafood processing sector can vary over time for a range of reasons.