Meeting of the Parliament 18 December 2025
I accept that the processors have made some comments on the issue, but I have had other stakeholders on the phone today, who have told me, “I can’t believe they’ve done this so close to 1 January.” It is a very last-minute decision.
I note that the written answer says that there was “intensive ... consultation”, but I have not seen any of that. I have no idea what that consultation was—nor, it would appear, does most of the fishing sector.
This is the season of good will, so I do not want to go on and on about it, but we will come back to the issue. The problem is that, because Parliament shuts today, I will not be able to obtain parliamentary scrutiny of the matter for the next two weeks. By the time I next have the ability to obtain parliamentary scrutiny, it will be past the date on which the measure comes in.
It is one thing to hold a debate the subject of which we can totally agree on—I agree with Alasdair Allan on the fishing and coastal growth fund—but it is completely outrageous that, at the same time, such a decision has been announced on the last sitting day before the recess. It is a problematic and controversial policy. There are operators of smaller fishing boats in the pelagic fleet who will be very worried about the proposed change, which represents a significant increase. I have already asked some parliamentary questions on the issue, which I did not want to have to do this side of Christmas, and I will be asking about it just after Christmas as well.
14:23