That the Parliament condemns the reported decision of the UK Government to allocate Scotland just 7.78% of the new UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, despite Scotland representing more than half of the UK’s fishing sector; understands that the decision to distribute the £360 million fund on a population basis using the Barnett formula means that Scotland will receive only £28 million, compared with the £166 million that it considers would have been due under a fair, sector-based allocation; believes that this an 83% cut to the share that Scotland would have received under post-EU arrangements; further believes that this decision will disadvantage Scotland’s coastal communities, seafood processors and fishing fleet while granting an unfair advantage to England’s proportionally smaller industry; notes that this follows what it sees as years of damaging UK Government policies, including trade deals that undermined exports and the loss of access to the European single market, and calls on the UK Government to reverse this decision and provide Scotland’s fishing industry with a fair funding settlement that reflects its scale, contribution and vital importance to the national economy.
Supported by:
Alasdair Allan, Colin Beattie, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Clare Haughey, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Kevin Stewart