Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which Minister within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for ocean policy and legislation.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Minister for the Indo-Pacific and Minister for Equalities has overall responsibility for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Legal Directorate, which includes Ocean Policy Unit, but some ocean policy issues have previously been covered by other Ministers. Ministerial leads on legislation are allocated on a case-by-case basis. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific and Minister for Equalities is responsible for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which minister within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for ocean policy and legislation.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Minister for the Indo-Pacific has overall responsibility for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Legal Directorate, which includes Ocean Policy Unit, but some ocean policy issues have previously been covered by other Ministers. Ministerial leads on legislation are allocated on a case-by-case basis. The allocation of Ministerial portfolios within the FCDO is currently under review and will be updated in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what administrative actions need to take place before legislating for the Global Oceans Treaty.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help preserve penguin populations in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by David Rutley
Many protections already exist for penguins in the Overseas Territories. These include the Marine Protected Area around South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, and the Antarctic Treaty System. The Government also supports biodiversity through Darwin Plus which, since 2012, has invested over £47 million in over 260 projects. Projects have aimed to conserve northern rockhopper penguins on Tristan da Cunha, and improve native tussac grassland to improve breeding habitat for Magellanic penguins in the Falkland Islands. In the UK-OT Joint Declaration, we committed to strengthen our partnership to protect and sustainably manage our unique and globally significant environments.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the written statement of 16 October 2023 entitled Update on the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, HCWS1062, what further legislative proposals he plans to bring forward prior to the ratification of the BBNJ treaty.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK was pleased to be among the first signatories to the Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement when it opened for signature at the UN on 20 September 2023 and the Agreement was laid before Parliament for scrutiny on 16 October 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement into UK law before we can ratify the Agreement, which will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows.