THE Tory Environment Secretary has bowed to pressure from the SNP and will now face scrutiny on his party's recovery plan after the Brexit chaos facing food firms.
George Eustice is to appear at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee after receiving a letter from SNP MP Dave Doogan.
In a letter to the chair of the EFRA Committee, Doogan said the group should “urgently scrutinise” the “deteriorating situation of Scottish and other UK exports... rotting and having to be dumped for failing to make it through the new bureaucracy to their EU markets”.
READ MORE: Poll: Over two-thirds of Scots think Brexit deal is bad for fishing industry
Exports of fresh fish and seafood have been severely disrupted by delays since the UK’s transition period ended on December 31, with seafood producers growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of Government action.
Lorries transporting freshly-caught produce have been held up at distribution hubs and many have struggled to enter into France.
Doogan, who is the SNP's spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Affairs, made the plea over concern that the EFRA Committee had not yet scheduled a date to look into export problems experienced by Scottish seafood, meat companies and agricultural producers.
Following his letter, Doogan received confirmation that Eustice will appear before the committee within a week.
Doogan welcomed the news but said the Tories must prepare a recovery plan for the fishing industry imminently.
He said: “I am pleased that the EFRA Committee will now have the opportunity to urgently scrutinise the disaster that has been wreaked upon Scottish and UK businesses and industries affected by the new red tape imposed on them following Brexit.
“It is right that the Secretary of State should appear before the Committee because his Government’s actions, or lack of actions, must be scrutinised so that we can better understand what is happening and what they are going to do to help businesses that face ruin without urgent assistance.
Doogan continued: "Brexit has proved to be an utter catastrophe for Scotland’s fishing industry and wider seafood sector, but increasingly so for our meat industry and wider agricultural producers - and the blame lies solely with the Tories.
"The Tory Government cannot wish these problems away - there is a clear series of problems facing them and it is essential that they have a recovery plan ready to implement.
“I look forward to holding the Secretary of State to account over what meaningful plans are being put in place for businesses and industries to ensure that they are able to recover from the unnecessary damage caused to their operations as a result of the Tories' Brexit deal."
George Eustice will now appear before the committee
Doogan previously challenged the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to publish to Parliament any estimate Eustice has made on “the additional cost to Scottish seafood and agricultural exporters per year of customs documentation and other non-tariff barriers to trade with the EU” under the newly-signed trade and co-operation agreement.
But Eustice’s team swerved the question and released a 300-word defence of the Brexit deal instead.
READ MORE: 'Breathtaking incompetence' as UK Government swerves Brexit fishing cost questions
Boris Johnson’s £23 million compensation fund for those who “have faced difficulties exporting where there is a genuine willing buyer” has already been dismissed by the SNP, with shadow environment, food and rural affairs spokesperson Deidre Brock stating it was “a compensation minnow when the industry needed a whale”.
Analysis from the Scottish Government found that the UK Government's Brexit deal will result in a fall in the quantity of key fishing stocks landed, such as cod, haddock, whiting and saithe.
The deal means that the Scottish fishing industry will have access to fewer fishing opportunities than under the existing Common Fisheries Policy arrangements – even at the end of the five and a half year adjustment period.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We recognise that the fishing industry is facing some temporary issues following the end of the transition period, some of which are the responsibility of devolved administrations and some the responsibility of UK Government, and we are looking at what additional financial support we can provide to those businesses affected.
“We continue to extensively engage and work closely with representatives of the industry from across the UK, and the authorities in EU Member States, to understand and address any issues with documentation.
“Our priority is to ensure that goods can continue to flow smoothly to market.”
It comes as the SNP urged the Tories to "eat some humble pie" and offer support to the fishing industry in the Commons on Thursday morning.
READ MORE: SNP urge Tories to 'eat some humble pie' and support fishing industry
SNP MP Neil Gray said: “This Government has followed up its sell-out of Scotland’s fishing communities with this £23m insult. The industry is losing more than four times that every day, they’re losing customers with it.
“This was the one industry we were told would benefit from Brexit. So why won’t the Government act now, act quickly, eat some humble pie and re-establish barrier-free rapid access to the European market for this industry so it can finally supply to their customers again?”
Eustice responded: “With the support that we’ve given industry to iron out some of the issues they’ve been having, the flow of goods is now continuing. DFDS, in particular, have been very successful at transporting salmon to the European Union.”
SNP MP Stuart C McDonald, who represents Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, warned of an entire fishing industry being “destroyed” if ministers do not fix technology at customs clearance.
Speaking in the Commons via video link, he said: “Scotland’s high quality seafood producers are warning that they’re going out of business. They can’t have their products sitting in lorry parks in Kent waiting for customs clearance, those products have to reach market fresh."
Scotland's fishing sector is furious with Tory ministers, who they feel have forced them to accept the “worst of both worlds” according to a letter from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.
The group wrote to the Prime Minister warning of “huge disappointment and a great deal of anger about your failure to deliver on promises made repeatedly to this industry”.
On Monday fleet of lorries from across the West Coast and beyond headed to England to protest outside Downing Street over fears they may be driven out of business.
One lorry, with the slogan "Brexit Carnage", was parked just metres from Downing Street.
READ MORE: Shellfish lorries park outside Downing Street in protest against Brexit chaos
Humza Yousaf said the image should "haunt" the Scottish Tories, adding: "Forget the Brexit lies Boris slapped on to side of a bus - here is the Brexit truth on the side of lorries from seafood and fisheries industry.
"These images should haunt the Scot Tories, your betrayal will not be forgotten."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel