Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the memorandum of understanding with the government of Iceland, published on 11 November 2020, offers access to Icelandic waters for UK fishers.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK–Norway Framework Agreement on Fisheries ensures distant waters fishing access for UK trawlers.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to secure fishing treaties with the governments of (1) Norway, and (2) Iceland.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy to negotiate tariff-free access for products imported from Greenland.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK has announced a number of tariff suspensions and Autonomous Tariff Quotas as part of our independent global tariff regime to help ensure continuity of trade, including with Greenland. We welcome continued engagement with Greenland and are considering options to ensure a prosperous trading relationship in the future.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has made of the implications for diplomatic relations with Greenland of products of Greenlandic origin no longer being eligible for tariff-free access for import to the UK.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK-Greenland bilateral relationship is important and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work across Whitehall and with Greenlandic counterparts to ensure it continues to flourish and supports our mutual interests. The UK-Greenland Trade relationship is a key part of that and one on which businesses in the seafood industry in both countries depend. We welcome continued engagement with Greenland and are considering options to ensure a prosperous trading relationship in the future.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to ensure that UK fishing can restart in the Greenland Exclusive Economic Zone; and what the timeframe is for securing that fishing agreement.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greenland on 9 November 2020. This agreement provides a platform for cooperation on fisheries issues but does not at this stage provide for annual negotiations or exchanges of fishing opportunities.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
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 is taking ensure continuity of fishing for the Hull-based fleet in its traditional fishing grounds off Norway, Greenland and the Faroes after 31 December 2020.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The steps taken by my department include, firstly, securing Fisheries Framework Agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands, which provide the legal basis for annual negotiations on fishing opportunities and access to respective waters; secondly, negotiating Memoranda of Understanding with Greenland and Iceland which will foster the already strong relationships with those fishing nations; and thirdly, negotiating in autumn 2020 as an independent coastal state significant UK fishing opportunities for our fleets across the North East Atlantic.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which species of fish are referred to in the Bilateral Fisheries Memoranda with (a) Greenland and (b) Iceland; and what effect those agreements have on fishing quotas.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The aims of the bilateral Memoranda of Understanding with Greenland and Iceland are to promote discussion and cooperation on fisheries issues with both of the two countries. Fishing opportunities form no part of either of these Memoranda. Accordingly, no species of fish are referred to and neither Memorandum has any effect on fishing quotas.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure the UK distant waters fishing fleet has access to fishing opportunities from the year 2021 in (1) the Norwegian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) north of 61 degrees latitude, (2) the Faeroe EEZ, (3) the Greenland EEZ, and (4) the seas around Svalbard.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
On the 31st December 2020, the UK will leave the Common Fisheries Policy. As we become an independent coastal state, we are committed to working closely with our coastal partners including the EU, Norway and Faroe Islands to manage shared stocks in a sustainable way and share fishing opportunities based on the scientific principle of zonal attachment.
As part of these preparations, the UK has concluded fisheries framework agreements with Norway and the Faroes, the first of which was signed on 30 September and has now been laid before Parliament. These framework agreements will provide the basis for annual negotiations on fishing opportunities and access to waters. In the forthcoming annual negotiations, the UK will seek to ensure the best possible outcomes for the whole of the UK fishing industry and our marine environment.
In addition, Defra officials are engaging regularly with their Greenlandic counterparts on opportunities for enhancing bilateral fisheries cooperation between the UK and Greenland. The UK’s rights under the 1920 Treaty of Paris with regards to fishing opportunities in Svalbard waters remain unchanged.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress her Department has made on a trade agreement with Greenland.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Until the end of the Transition Period, Britain’s trade relationship with Greenland will be governed by an EU framework given Greenland’s status as a Danish dependency and an EU overseas territory.
The Department for International Trade is working across government to review the future of Britain’s trading relationship with Greenland and remain in close contact with counterparts in the Greenland Representation.