WHITEFORD URGES UK FISHERIES MINISTER TO KEEP UP FIGHT IN MACKEREL ROW

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford urged UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon not to back down over the threat of a ‘mackerel war’ after raising the crisis in the House of Commons.

The SNP MP made the plea to the Minister after raising the issue during DEFRA Questions. Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“Action is needed. This matter is of critical importance to the North-east fishing industry.

“2500 jobs, many of them in the North-east, are dependant on the mackerel sector. I have been in close contact with industry representatives and will continue to press the case for them at the highest level in Westminster, while I know my colleague Richard Lochhead will do likewise from a Scottish Government perspective.

“The UK Government, as the EU Member State, must redouble its efforts to ensure a just and fair outcome for our pelagic sector in the face of outrageous and irresponsible behaviour by the Faroese.”

Note: Extract from Hansard follows:

4. Dr Eilidh Whiteford (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): What assessment he has made of the outcome of the recent coastal states discussions in Oslo on mackerel fishing quota; and if he will make a statement. [47196]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Richard Benyon): The meeting of coastal states in Oslo from 9 to 11 March ended without agreement on the management of the north Atlantic mackerel stock for 2011. This is very disappointing as it puts the future sustainability of this extremely important stock at risk. The positions of the parties involved remain wide apart but we will continue to work with industry, other EU member states and the Commission to find the best possible outcome to this difficult situation.

Dr Whiteford: I hope the Minister shares my outrage at the 150,000 tonnes of mackerel that the Faroese have subsequently unilaterally awarded themselves as a quota for mackerel for next year, and I know he shares my concerns about the jobs that will be affected by that, both in my constituency and in other pelagic areas. As a matter of urgency, will he meet the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association and other key UK stakeholders to discuss this matter further?

Richard Benyon: I recently met stakeholders and raised the matter this week—yesterday, in fact—with Commissioner Damanaki, when I gave support to her strong call for measures to be taken against the Faroese and neighbouring states that cause so much damage to a sustainable stock. The problems that the hon. Lady’s constituents and others around our coast face are very much our priorities, and we will continue to support strong measures to deal with them.

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TORY CRISIS LOAN CUTS HIT 350,000 VULNERABLE SCOTS

SNP CONDEMN TORIES' CRUEL CRISIS CUTS

SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Eilidh Whiteford MP has hit out at the Tories’ ‘cruel cuts’ after Parliamentary Questions revealed how UK Government cuts to the level and availability of Social Fund Crisis Loans would impact on hundreds of thousands of disabled, pensioner and loan parent households.

The Parliamentary Questions – detailed below – also revealed that 347,270 people in Scotland took out the crisis loan over the last year. The UK Government announced that it will no longer pay Crisis Loans for items such as cookers and beds and the rate paid for living expenses will be cut from 75 per cent down to 60 per cent of benefit rate.

Commenting Dr Whiteford said:

“Cutting crisis loans must be the Tories cruellest cut yet. It will impact on the most vulnerable households, removing safety net support from people just when they need a helping hand.

“The UK Government admit that, over the last year alone, these loans have gone to hundreds of thousands of disabled, pensioner and loan parent households. By their nature crisis loans are a last resort, and so cutting their availability will cause real hardship and drive people towards loan sharks and high interest lenders.

“The fact that so many people have had to take out these loans should underline the difficulties that households are facing, but instead of trying to help the Tory Government are making things much more painful.

“These are loans that people pay back, so these cuts are not about saving money.

"With further powers over the economy and over the welfare system that supports our most vulnerable people we could put a stop to the Tories dismal decade of cuts, invest in growing our economy and support our most vulnerable properly so that together we can make Scotland better.”

Notes:

1. Details of awards by client groups:

Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social fund crisis loans were made to (a) individuals registered as disabled, (b) individuals over the pension age and (c) lone parent households in the last 12 months. [45527]

Steve Webb: The available information is provided as follows:

Client group -- Number of initial awards March 2010 to February 2011 in Great Britain

Disabled -- 443,410
Lone parents -- 287,580
Others -- 233,990
Pensioners -- 17,320
Unemployed -- 1,706,450

All initial awards -- 2,688,750

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110316/text/110316w0003.htm#1103171003075

2. Details of the number of people to receive crisis loans, by region, can be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110316/text/110316w0003.htm#1103171003069

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LOCAL MP CONGRATULATES PETERHEAD SEA CADETS

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has congratulated Peterhead Sea Cadets on their recent success. The MP attended the recent awards ceremony where cadets were presented with their awards by a senior naval officer.

The Peterhead Sea Cadet Unit was presented with the Stephenson and Thomas Grey Memorial Trophies by the Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland and Flag Officer Reserves, Rear Admiral Martin Alabaster, in recognition of their outstanding work and performance at local, regional and national events during 2010.

Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“I’m delighted for the young people involved in Peterhead Sea Cadets and send them my congratulations on their achievement. This was a very big occasion for them to receive their awards from such a senior naval officer.

“I understand that the Peterhead Unit is one of the largest units in Scotland and this success is a testament not only to the cadets but to their Officer-in-Charge, John Bowman, and the rest of the team.”

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SCOTLAND OFFICE COMPLACENT AND UNCARING OVER CRISIS LOAN CUTS

SNP Work and Pension spokesperson Eilidh Whiteford MP has branded the Scotland Office as ‘complacent and uncaring’ over cuts to the level and availability of Social Fund Crisis Loans, warning that the decision would force people on low incomes towards high cost or illegal lending.

Dr Whiteford raised concerns at Scottish Questions over the announcement that the Tory Government will no longer pay Crisis Loans for items such as cookers and beds and the rate paid for living expenses will be cut from 75 per cent down to 60 per cent of benefit rate.

Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“It seems that the Tories have gone back to being the nasty party with this complacent and uncaring dismissal of the impact that cutting crisis loans will have on the poorest households.

“By their nature crisis loans are a last resort, and it is appalling that the Tory Government are cutting this safety net. The only winners from this will be loan sharks and high interest lenders.

“The fact that so many people have had to take out these loans should underline the difficulties that households are facing, but instead of trying to help the UK Government are making things much more painful.

“These are loans that people pay back, so these cuts are not about saving money. What they will do is force people who are in crisis to take out high interest loans or to go to loan sharks.

"With further powers over the economy and over the welfare system that supports our most vulnerable people we could put a stop to the Tories dismal decade of cuts, invest in growing our economy and support our most vulnerable properly so that together we can make Scotland better.”

Note:

A transcript of Dr Whiteford’s exchange with the Scotland Office Minister is detailed below:

Dr Whiteford: The Minister will be aware that proposals to reform the Social Fund Crisis Loan are going to cut the level and availability of loans available to people to buy essential items like beds and cookers. Does the Minister agree with me that this is going to push vulnerable people on low incomes towards high cost lending and into the arms of loan sharks, exacerbating problems that we already have in Scotland?

David Mundell (Minister of State): I certainly don’t agree Mr Speaker, with the Hon Lady’s analysis and once again from SNP benches I am extremely surprised to find elements of the Social Fund are being devolved to Scottish Parliament is not being welcomed.

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