To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on policy relating to the next year of the cod recovery programme.

In view of the advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas the United Kingdom is fully supportive of the need to develop recovery programmes for North Sea cod, West of Scotland cod, Irish Sea cod as well as for Northern hake. Most recently the European Commission (on behalf of the Member States) reached an agreement with Norway on the steps to be taken for the second stage of the North Sea cod recovery programme. A copy of the Agreed Record dated 21 June 2001 has been placed in the Library of the House.