FISHING businesses which have lost millions of pounds due to Brexit delays are to be compensated.
The Prime Minister said that those who had experienced “temporary frustrations” since the end of the Brexit transition period “will be compensated” during a meeting of the Liaison Committee today.
Politicians from all sides of the house have raised the plight of fishermen across Scotland throughout the day, claiming they are losing up to £1m a day due to the problems exporting their produce.
It comes after the fisheries minister Victoria Prentis told MPs this morning that she had been busy organising her local nativity trail when the Brexit deal came and so had not immediately read it.
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, asked about fishing firms' issues at Prime Minister’s Questions while Labour’s Hillary Benn raised it with Mr Johnson during the committee this afternoon.
Former cabinet minister Mr Benn asked: “You said many times, you've referred to the UK gaining control about waters.
“Why is it that some of the Scottish fishing fleet is currently tied up, rather than out fishing?”
Mr Johnson said he understood the “frustrations of people who are in the fishing community” and added: “The Scottish fishermen and women who are facing, what I believe are temporary frustrations insofar as there are delays caused by a variety of problems.
“We will compensate those fishing businesses.”
Mr Johnson also said he believed the problems they were experiencing were temporary and would not last.
The Herald contacted the Cabinet Office and No.10 for more details about the compensation mentioned by the Prime Minister but received no response.
The pledge comes after fisheries minister Victoria Prentis MP this morning admitted that she did not immediately read the details of the Brexit deal because she had been organising her local nativity trail.
She was asked at the EU Environment sub-committee if her “jaw dropped” when she saw the details of the deal.
Ms Prentis replied: “No. The agreement came when we were all very busy on Christmas Eve, and in my case organising the local Nativity trail.
“We'd been waiting and waiting, it looked like it was coming for probably four days before it actually arrived.
“I, for one, had gone through, as I'm sure, members of the committee had, a gamut of emotions over those four days.”
The SNP has called for her to resign.
The Liberal Democrats are to ask an urgent question on the subject tomorrow, where Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael is expected to press ministers further on details of the compensation scheme mentioned by Mr Johnson.
He said: “ After a week of intensifying disruption for seafood exporters and with long-term challenging from the deal as well, I am glad to have secured this urgent question to hold the Government to account.
“I would urge businesses affected by the trading changes to contact me so that we can put the strongest possible case to the Minister.”
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