Sea Fishing (Hansard, 4 December 2001)

§ Andrew George
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in implementing the recommendations accepted268W by MAFF in its response to the Eighth report from the Agriculture Select Committee, Session 1998–99 on sea fishing. [19278]

§ Mr. Morley
I have been pleased to provide the Agriculture Select Committee on a number of occasions with updates to the Government response to the Committee's 1999 Report on Sea Fishing. Most recently, I provided oral evidence to the Committee on 9 May 2001 on issues covered in the report. The transcript of this evidence has been published in the Agriculture Committee, Session 2000–01, Sea Fishing, (HC 404).

§ Andrew George
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department made towards establishing a long-term sea fishing strategy for(a) the United Kingdom and (b) England. [19279]

§ Mr. Morley
The sea fish industry itself must be fully involved in the establishment of a long-term strategy; and I therefore welcome the work which is being undertaken by the Fish Industry Forum to contribute towards a strategy. It will also be necessary to take account of the results of the current review of the Common Fisheries Policy due for completion by the end of next year.

§ Andrew George
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the budget requirements of sea fisheries committees which seek to fulfil their full range of statutory duties. [19277]

§ Mr. Morley
The sea fisheries committees are funded by their sponsoring local authorities which nominate half the membership of each committee. The need for additional budgetary provision is a matter for each committee and its local authority membership.

§ Andrew George
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the(a) Scottish Executive and (b) Welsh Assembly with regard to (i) temporary tie-up schemes for fishing boats engaged in the hunt for pressure stock, (ii) the future of decommissioning schemes, (iii) the future of the European Common Fisheries policy, (iv) the allocation of total allowable catches and (v) controls on the landing of black fish. [19280]

§ Mr. Morley
This Department has regular contact with the other Fisheries Departments in the UK, both at ministerial and official level, on a wide range of fisheries issues including those cited by the hon. Member.