To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many foreign-registered vessels have pair trawled within the UK's 12 mile limit in each month since the ban on British pair trawlers inside the 12 mile limit was implemented. (142156)

Information on the total number of foreign vessels that have pair trawled within the UK 12 mile limit in this period is not available, since their countries of registration are not required to submit this information to us and it is not possible for our own enforcement authorities to inspect all such vessels at all times.

However, the number of pairs of foreign vessels which have been confirmed from our own inspections at sea and other sightings as engaging in pair trawling within the UK 12 mile limit is set out in the following table. This includes the proportion of pairs of foreign vessels which were observed in ICES area VIIe, within which the English ban on pair trawling applies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his (a) Scottish, (b) Welsh and (c) Northern Ireland counterparts on UK fisheries since May 2007; and if he will make a statement. (142306)

I met with my Scottish counterpart, Richard Lochhead, on 6 June in advance of the 11-12 June Agriculture and Fisheries Council. He also accompanied me to the Council itself and we had regular discussions as the negotiations developed.

I have not met my counterparts from Wales and Northern Ireland on fisheries matters since May 2007. My officials are however in regular contact with their counterparts from the devolved administrations on fisheries matters to ensure a coherent UK line.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the timetable outlined in Annex III of the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on a Community Action Plan to reduce discards of fish (COM(2002)656 final), dated 26 November 2002 has been met; and if he will make a statement. (142313)

There hasn’t been the detailed analysis at Community level of the various options identified in the report that was anticipated. However, the more recent Commission Communication takes the discussion forward, to reflect those developments which have occurred in the interim, like increased data on the scale of the problem (and its geographical and fisheries distribution) and the application of technical measures to improve selectivity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on fisheries enforcement in each year since 1997. (142314)

UK expenditure on fisheries enforcement including monitoring control and surveillance on land, at sea, aerial surveillance and satellite monitoring is set out in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: A Policy to reduce unwanted by-catches and eliminate discards in European fisheries (COM(2007) 136 final) dated 28 March 2007; and if he will make a statement. (142337)

The Government welcome what they consider to be a forward-thinking and radical paper, focusing on the single issue that does most to discredit the Common Fisheries Policy in the eyes of the public.

It is particularly welcome that the Commission has focussed on the economic incentives on fishermen that give rise to discarding—it is only if we focus on these that we will find solutions that work.

But much greater thought is needed on practical implementation, particularly in relation to the concept of a discard ban. The Communication underplays significantly the enforcement problems and associated costs that a complete ban would bring, especially in the mixed fisheries found in waters all around the UK. The UK looks forward to participating actively in that additional work. We must also involve stakeholders to ensure the measures are effective in practice.