Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect marine conservation areas from illegal fishing by large trawlers. (136424)
Tabled on: 12 January 2021
Answer:
Victoria Prentis:
As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it manages all of our fisheries. All vessels fishing in our waters have to be licensed by a UK Fisheries Administration, and abide by the licence conditions and relevant legislation. We are also committed to ensuring an effective and robust enforcement system. To ensure appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place to protect our waters, including marine protected areas, the Government has put in place a significant increase in the number of personnel and surveillance assets dedicated to fisheries protection, which includes offshore patrol vessels supported by aerial and radar surveillance. This strong presence will deter against any fisheries infringements.
The answer was submitted on 20 Jan 2021 at 16:39.
Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what Government (a) grant and (b) loan assistance is available to people wishing to expand capacity of vegetable and fruit growing under suitable cover to extend the growing season and protect from weather damage. (136427)
Tabled on: 12 January 2021
Answer:
Victoria Prentis:
The Government has provided some limited grant support for indoor horticultural growers through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for the purchase of innovative lighting, heating and irrigation technology. Funding continues to be available to producer organisations who implement operational programmes in the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.
From autumn 2021 my department will launch the new Farming Investment Fund, providing grants to farmers, foresters and growers to enable them to invest in the equipment, technology and infrastructure that will help their businesses to prosper, while improving their productivity and enhancing the environment. My officials are working with stakeholders and others on the detailed design of the scheme.
The answer was submitted on 20
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (136425):
Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ban supertrawlers from fishing in UK waters to help protect fish stocks and the marine environment. (136425)
Tabled on: 12 January 2021
Answer:
Victoria Prentis:
We are reviewing our policies for these vessels operating in UK waters including marine conservation areas. Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The answer was submitted on 20 Jan 2021 at 16:41.
Jan 2021 at 16:45.
January 21, 2021
Why is there such a mismatch between what is needed and wanted and Victoria Prentis’s responses, beautifully couched though they are in superficially comforting words except for the last where reference to “Any action needs to be evidence-based” is presumed code for “we will never collect evidence to allow action” and reference to being always “in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement” is presumed to mean nothing can be done?
January 21, 2021
Yes. The U.K./EU cooperation agreement, in other words no. I suspect this is the catch all that will be quoted ad nauseam every time we try to diverge and over time will prove much of what Boris has told us us a sham just like his lies on Northern Ireland who we are told, when the transition agreement stops cannot eat our sausages etc because they have to come from the EU.
Our hosts overall take on this cooperation agreement would be welcome as would his views on the specific answer re the super trawlers.
January 21, 2021
Yes, this is the code for saying that nothing will change.
January 21, 2021
Even if the evidence is put in front of her nose she wonât read it.
Victoria Prentis is the woman who admitted she didnât read the Trade Agreement because she was too busy with her Christmas preparations. Donât expect someone like this who canât be bothered to read one of the most important documents ever voted on, to have a clue about whatâs going on in this country.
I suggest we ask our fishermen about what changes they think need to be introduced to help their industry and conserve marine life.
Every day the legacy of this EU sell-out agreement is becoming more apparent. The betrayal from our Government will not be forgotten at the next election.
January 21, 2021
Ms Prentice, who hadnât read the Agreement with the EU because she was getting ready for her Nativity Play. Forgive me for not feeling reassured.
January 21, 2021
‘Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.’
In other words, no action can be taken as the UK’s Tory PM has negotiated and fashioned for the nation a new straitjacket into which we can snugly fit, with those straps pulled tighter to ensure minimal movement.
And Mr Redwood’s obsession with UK sea fishing is more disturbing than my obsession with his party being completely captured by the forces of cultural Marxism and Socialist dogma that will shortly be dragging the US into an abyss of authoritarianism, compliance and terror
January 21, 2021
Dominic,
When comparing obsessions, rest assured you are the very clear winner.
January 21, 2021
Could you translate all that shrieking gobbledegook into intelligible language, please?
January 21, 2021
Good moring.
The answer to the Super Trawlers is most revealing.
” . . . in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”
Clearly we are not in full control.
As to Land Management, will we no longer be bound to EU Environmental Rules restricting dredging of our streams and rivers ? We have seen the past how damaging this has been to the UK with widespread flooding. It is another area where the UK can begin to roll back much of the damage caused by EU membership.
January 21, 2021
Mark,
Level playing field and non regression clauses for environment so that should answer your question. EU decide. Prentice useless response was code for: UK is not taking back control. I wonder what happens if U.K. wants more reservoirs for Fake Tory mass immigration policy?
Suggest JR gets his questions in early before Prentice does her Easter egg trail!
January 21, 2021
European Union directives never did prevent the dredging of watercourses to prevent damage to property.
January 21, 2021
So we already know that Barnier is bragging they had us over on the fish and will continue as infinitum until we remove ourselves from the straitjacket of the deal that Boris signed. They control our fish and Northern Ireland. Forget the spin and we need to vote Reform Party to give notice to this awful deal and WTO rules which is better than this expensive dogs dinner. It’s time our Customs had games with their exports, particularly French and Dutch.
January 21, 2021
“UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”
It is coming clear that this isn’t “a trade and cooperation agreement” at all John. Fair enough, now we’re learning but you must tell everyone quickly the rules in this new trade agreement. Liz Truss needs to get on the tv tonight, tweet out the rules/vat/duty/courier charges, make more people aware of the new import tariffs so they make educated decisions on whether to buy from the EU or not. The Guardian says there are people ordering from sites thinking the business is in the UK region because of their website domain xxx.co.uk when it was actually in Berlin and are then getting unexpected big bills on delivery “ÂŁ19.81 in duty, ÂŁ61.32 in VAT and an ÂŁ11.50 collection fee levied by the courier firm” these charges were not identified on the sales website on goods worth ÂŁ292.
Amazon reassures us in the same article “Online marketplaces such as Amazon collect the VAT on the retailerâs behalf and the item from Europe can be sent as before.” So Boris has given an advantage to a massive global brand. Perhaps you need to set up a British ‘Amazon’ that pays taxes in the UK to sell UK SME products worldwide that is able to collect the VAT and organise duty/vat and courier fees, or is the Tory plan to move everything through a couple of large global firms?
While the Dept for Trade is at it, can they also make sure that people are aware when ordering imports from the USA and China what the extra costs in duty etc. are to reflect the proper values I’ve known people caught out by this who hadn’t realised until the goods were delivered.
January 21, 2021
There are many contradictions for the rich technocrats and the tax payers.
Climate Emergency to pay tax or carbon credits schemes versus free movement of people, goods and services for the benefit of the wealthy is one such contradiction.
In soviet Russia, dachas for the communist leaders versus rows of poorly built blocks of flats for the workers was the same contradiction.
âAll animals are equal but some are more equal than othersâ was one of seven commandments from the pigs.
January 21, 2021
Seems to me whatever we do the EU believes in punishment. Not forgetting the EU must have us seen to fail. The comment I heard from an EU representative regarding longer queues at Dover, â we will only grease the wheels at the border if Britain gives up it plan of deregulation, the Singapore optionâ. I thought the deal included respect for our sovereignty. How many lorries are we turning back with insufficient paperwork. Are we insisting on EU drivers testing negative. SJR, you and I both know this paperwork is a smoke screen to cause maximum disruption. It can be done digitally.
January 21, 2021
The deal does respect the UK’s sovereignty. The UK is free to behave like Singapore. But the EU is free to respond by obstructing trade from the UK. Because the EU is sovereign too. Did you not realise that “taking back control” is a two way street?
January 21, 2021
So the answer on banning super trawlers was actually nothing because it wasn’t covered in the EU/UK agreement.
Grants to farmers to enhance the environment what does that mean.
It doesn’t sound very promising to me, a bit like Patel and the channel taxi service, lots of words, very little action
January 21, 2021
Indeed. Its political words meaning no action. I have a letter from October 2020 from Priti Useless on promises to remove 850 illegals imminently. It didnt say what year or how much its costing English tax payers to keep these criminals.
January 21, 2021
Deportations of foreign criminals 72% down last year on previous year! Johnson signed the country up to ECHR, a foreign court with foreign laws, having primacy over U.K. Courts! Deportations not happening any time soon despite, Cameron, May and Johnson promising to get rid of it! If U.K. Scraps it association servitude agreement cancelled in 15 days!
January 21, 2021
Good that you are keeping a close watch on this John
January 21, 2021
Specifically what is different for foreign trawlers and other types of fishing systems as of January 2021. To what extent is their catch reduced and in other ways restricted, in size of fish taken for instance. When will I see the end of Turbot the size of Plaice on Spanish fish counters. How will this reduction be monitored, who controls the accounting system.
Finally was the blip encountered by Scottish shell fishermen on supplying the EU an administrative teething problem or the start of a campaign of manufactured difficulty.
I look upon farming as closer to its market and better able to lobby for change, and control of government actions.
January 21, 2021
There is no time line on posts. Is this a ploy to avoid drawing attention to a lack of moderation.
Reply Not something I asked to change. I will moderate as recently set out.
January 21, 2021
We are privileged to be invited as guests. Why do people whinge?
January 21, 2021
Without guests there would not be a blog! Go figure.
January 21, 2021
Boris Johnson a few years back – “Labour put in a load of wind farms that failed to pull the skin off a rice pudding. We now have the opportunity to get shale gas – let’s look at it.”
Today in a tweet (or from Queen Carrie perhaps) – President @JoeBiden rejoining the Paris Agreement is hugely positive news. In the year we host @COP26 in Glasgow, I look forward to working with our US partners to do all we can to safeguard our planet.
Great plan Boris, lets freeze pensioners with very expensive intermittent energy, export jobs (indeed whole industries), destroy out ability to compete and decimate the UK economy by putting it at a huge competitive disadvantage. An idiotic war against harmless (indeed net beneficial) plant food. It will have not have any significant effect on CO2 let alone on the climate. Indeed like the current lockdown it will on balance do far, far more harm than good.
Trump, on this, was right.
January 21, 2021
China will be grateful for the helping hand to dominate the world!
Germany equally grateful as it gets 52% of its gas from Russia, reduces military at its borders and fails to pay its commitments to NATO! Importing gas allows it to build 28 coal fired power stations for its industry while everyone eleses close due to expensive energy! Great plan dumb arse Johnson. Is he really this thick or too lazy to read?
January 21, 2021
Terrible new site !
etc
Polly
Reply Please do not send in contributions. Your contributions break my rules. That is why you are usually deleted.
January 21, 2021
And in another move to tie us to the EU the Department of Transport is supposedly telling transport companies that move musicians equipment around Europe to register over there to overcome the âonly three stops allowedâ rule.
I wonder how much of our financial services sector we will be forced to give away. Fishing is just a metaphor for something far larger?
January 21, 2021
Very well put Formula57, I could not agree more.
We know and have seen the damage these huge trawlers do to the fishing grounds so what more evidence is needed. Ban them and it will also help to preserve the planet
January 21, 2021
Why will it take till the autumn?
January 21, 2021
You wrote the following almost two years ago:
“Neither side in the referendum will be happy if we recreate an EU membership by proxy from outside…. UK Ministers have to work hard to have any influence on the process, and many donât bother, just accepting what the EU throws up as something they cannot control…. We voted to leave this system because people cannot sack those responsible for its actions as you can the Ministers of a national government. A leave deal which doesnt understand this is a bad deal and should not be accepted.”
(Source: “Why do so many former senior civil servants want to stay in the EU?”, April 23, 2018; emphasis here, and below, added)
This is a reply you received on behalf of a Secretary of State twenty days after the UK was supposed to have fully separated from the EU:
“Any action needs to be…in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”
Do you reject this “deal”?
Reply I made clear my disagreements with its provisions on fish and Northern Ireland and did not vote for it.
January 21, 2021
Welcome to Eugland.
January 21, 2021
Government mindset is still based on co-operation with and appeasement of the EU thugs. The Prentis answers are clear on this.
I asked some weeks ago what action is being taken to combat the economic warfare to which we are being subjected to. The question would have been dismissed as nonsense but it is clear we are. The delays at borders is to be relaxed if we give up our right to develop our ports says the EU. When is our gutless government and its supporters going to change. It must be obvious surely now to everyone that being nice to the EU returns a kick in the teeth. Only those who put the EU above UK could possible disagree.
January 21, 2021
As a former senior civil servant well-versed in reading between the lines and understanding ‘officialese’, let me interpret those three replies for you:
1. The government has no intention of making any changes whatsoever to either the current regulations or the enforcement mechanism in order to protect marine conservation areas, so go away or we will continue to fob you off with meaningless replies.
2. The government is slow and incompetent and has no intention of prioritising action to develop the vital areas of vertical farming and robotic harvesting, and nothing will happen until next year at the earliest. We are too lazy and stupid to understand the urgency of supporting these technoologies.
3. Far from ‘taking back control’ of our fisheries, we have surrendered this to the EU in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement betrayal and now we can’t do anyting to ban supertrawlers because the EU won’t let us.
Who in their right mind would support such a useless, stupid and treacherous government?
January 21, 2021
I must admit. I put great faith in the ERG when they scrutinised the deal and said it was a good deal. Since then we seemed to be subject to any âpunishmentâ the EU wishes to inflict. It seems we need to do as we are told or the French or Dutch will put every obstacle to trade, which I thought was part of the deal. I am so disappointed, not for Brexit but the fact Boris seems to have blown it.
January 22, 2021
That’s exactly how I am feeling. Very disappointed in this so called Brexit deal. It will be a disaster for the UK but I wonder if secretly that is what this government wants. Let’s face it. The majority of Tories didn’t want to leave in the first place. The EU won’t have to try and make us fail. Our own government will do it for them.
January 21, 2021
+1
I interpreted her replies in a similar way. I also took from her responses she was too busy to have detailed knowledge and was only prepared to read the response from the draft provided to her.
January 21, 2021
What is the obsession with fishing?. It accounts for less than 1% of revenue, and more people are turning to vegetarian so less fish sold is inevitable.
Focus on cutting red tape to both imports and exports and less on fish as its yesterdays industry
January 22, 2021
The size of the fishing – and fish processing – industry could easily be tripled or even quadrupled, if the government adopted the right policies. Unfortunately, they have made it clear that they wont.
And however small you might think the fishing industry is on a national basis, it is very important in the seaside communities. Not only that, but increasing our ability to feed ourselves is important for our food security.
As for red tape on imports – we actually want MORE of this, so as to discourage these and encourage reshoring and import substitution. Stop buying foreign goods from countries that hate us and want to destroy us. BUY BRITISH!
January 22, 2021
Good questions
Expecting to get an evidence-based solution with the EU is naive.
Land available to agricultural production can be increased by reversing policy on solar farms and removing them (or confining them to roof tops).