Charles Walker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the revenue from the sale of rod licences was not allocated to the maintenance and improvement of fisheries and fish stocks in the last five years.

George Eustice

The revenue raised from the sale of rod licences is classed as a hypothecated tax. The Environment Agency Financial Memorandum clearly sets out that this revenue is used for the provision of the Environment Agency fisheries service. The Environment Agency Financial Memorandum clearly sets out that the rod licence fees are for maintaining, improving and developing salmon, trout, freshwater and eel fisheries under the Salmon and Fresh Water Fisheries Act 1975.

The Environment Agency Fisheries Service provides activities including; fisheries monitoring and enforcement, fisheries advice, preparing and responding to incidents and the necessary functions to support these services such as accommodation and legal advice.