Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) turtles, (b) sharks and (c) seabirds were killed as a result of activities funded by the UK Overseas Territories Blue Belt programme in (i) 2016-17 and (ii) 2017-18.
Answered by Alan Duncan
All scientific surveys undertaken through the Blue Belt programme are designed in line with international best practice. There were no incidental mortalities of turtle or seabird species as a result of the scientific surveys undertaken through the Blue Belt programme in either 2016-17 or 2017-18. Where possible all sharks are released alive during surveys, but in 2017-18 seven sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) were killed through depredation by other species during surveys in Tristan da Cunha.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of terrorist activity supported by and carried out by Hezbollah.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are deeply concerned by Hizballah's involvement in terrorist activity in the Middle East and beyond. We condemn the threat this poses to regional security and stability. We also condemn Hizballah's military support for Asad's brutality in Syria.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of ongoing UK dialogue with Hezbollah on that organisation’s stance on terrorism.
Answered by Alistair Burt
There is no ongoing UK dialogue with Hizballah, with whom the UK maintains a no contact policy.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect the biodiversity of those waters to the north of Ascension Island which are open to fishing.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Through the Blue Belt Programme, the UK Government is working with the Ascension Island Government to ensure the effective implementation of its sustainable fisheries management regime around Ascension. This includes using near real-time analysis of satellite data to build intelligence on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and to allow targeted enforcement during fishery patrols. Data collected will be used in conjunction with research currently underway as part of a scientific approach to determine the final size and location of any Marine Protected Area around Ascension. We are also working through the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to improve regional management and ensure sustainable harvest levels of tuna, billfish and pelagic shark, species.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many licences have been issued to whom for commercial fishing in the waters around Ascension Island in the last six months; and how much accrues to the public purse from each such licence.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Ascension Island Government are responsible for issuing commercial fishing licences around Ascension’s waters. Within the last six months, no licences have been issued for fishing within the Ascension Exclusive Economic Zone.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department expects to make an announcement on the UK strategy for the future of Ascension Island.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN is leading work within Whitehall to determine the future strategy for Ascension Island. This is significant and complex work, involving a range of interested parties, and the Minister will provide updates as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on UK strategy on Ascension Island.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Ascension Island is important to the UK. It hosts UK and US military air bases and has a unique and valuable protected marine environment. The Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad, is leading Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the island's operations.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's five-year strategy and vision statement objectives are for (a) South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and (b) Ascension Island.
Answered by James Duddridge
A new five year Strategy for South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, Strategy 2016 - 2020, was published in November 2015. The Strategy brings together HMG and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands’ objectives. The Strategy aspires to world-class environmental management underpinned by the highest standards of governance, and sets out five strategic objectives. A copy of the Strategy can be found at:
The FCO is currently working with the Ascension Island Government to identify the island’s infrastructure needs. This is the first step in identifying long-term requirements for Ascension.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department has made on supporting the establishment of marine protected areas in the high seas.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK led negotiations within the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources which resulted in the establishment of the world’s first high-seas Marine Protected Area (within the Antarctic Treaty area) and supports the establishment of further Marine Protected Areas within the area covered by the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. The UK is also a leading member of the OSPAR Commission which has designated seven Marine Protected Areas in the high seas of the North-East Atlantic and works closely with other regional and international organisations to manage these.
The UK supports, and is fully engaged, in the work at the United Nations seeking an agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity and the need to establish a mechanism to deliver marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which departmental budget is supporting the Government's blue belt policy to protect marine biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories.
Answered by James Duddridge
The delivery of the UK Overseas Territories Blue-Belt policy is a cross-Government initiative and as such will receive cross-departmental funding.