Evidence Session
Tuesday 23 January at 14.30, Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Watch live on Parliamentlive.tv
In an evidence session on Tuesday, the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, will be questioned by Dr Neil Hudson MP on the EFRA Committee regarding the latest fisheries negotiations between the UK and its nearby coastal partners, including the EU and Norway.
The Minister, who will be accompanied by senior officials, will be asked to provide the Committee with an introductory presentation on the outcome of the negotiations, which took place in the autumn.
MPs will scrutinise the negotiation process, examining what trade-offs were negotiated and how negotiations are likely to impact the UK fishing industry in 2024.
Witnesses will also be questioned on how the Government is approaching UK-EU fisheries arrangements for access and catch-allocations after June 2026, when the fisheries provisions of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement are set to be reviewed for the first time.
Dr Hudson hopes to utilise his veterinary and science background to draw attention to the plight of marine mammals which are still hunted by our international partners and caught unintentionally by fishing vessels. Demanding high standards in free trade agreements could be a core strategy for stamping this out . This follows his work alongside marine mammal charities and NGOs which you can read about here.
The EFRA Committee are passionate to see international commitments to protect marine mammals through trade deals and released a report which you can find here.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
"Ensuring high ecological and environmental standards in fishing from our international partners is paramount for sustaining our precious oceans and ensuring responsible global trade.
"This week's EFRA session will be a productive step in safeguarding marine ecosystems for future generations and I look forward to hearing from the Minister and his hardworking team."
Witnesses
From 14.30:
· Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food at Defra
· Mike Dowell, Deputy Director for EU Fisheries Negotiations and Policy at Defra
· Colin Faulkner, Deputy Director for External Fisheries Negotiations and Trade Policy at Defra
