Q16. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that fish products imported from the EU are subject to the same standards and requirements as fish products exported to the EU.
Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)
Sir Gary Streeter MP (South West Devon, Conservative)
Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)
Topical Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)
Paul Maynard MP (Blackpool North and Cleveleys, Conservative)
Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)1Luke Pollard MP (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Labour (Co-op))Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)Luke Pollard MP (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Labour (Co-op))Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)
Luke Pollard Shadow Fisheries Secretary and Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport has called on the Secretary for State, George Eustice to apologise to the UK fishing industry for the mess they made of Brexit.
Speaking at today’s Defra orals in the House of Commons, Mr Pollard challenged the Secretary of State to the industry at a time when fishing businesses across the country are on the verge of collapse.
He told Mr Eustice, “Fishing boats are tied-up, exporters are tied-up with red tape. Fishing was promised a ‘sea of opportunity’, but the reality is that many fishing businesses are on the verge of collapse. Much of the so-called extra fish may not even exist or be able to call quite British boats.
“The fishing industry feels betrayed. “Isn’t now time for Secretary of State to apologise to the fishing industry for the Brexit deal his government negotiated?”
The Secretary of State replied, “I’ve made clear all along that the Government had hoped to get closer to a zonal attachment sharing arrangement in that first multi–annual agreement. But there is a significant uplift of 25% of the fish that the EU have historically caught in our waters that they’ve been required to forfeit as the price for continued access, And, that additional fishing quota is worth about £140 million.”