Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43796, what the dates were of the two meetings with Greenland’s Foreign Minister.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Greenlandic Foreign Minister Motzfeldt at the Arctic Circle Assembly on 18 October 2024 in Iceland, and on 13 January 2025 in London. We discussed a range of bilateral and Arctic issues. We do not publish the minutes of diplomatic meetings.
As per my response to Parliamentary Question 43796, the Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43796, whether the topic of US interest in claiming Greenland was discussed.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Greenlandic Foreign Minister Motzfeldt at the Arctic Circle Assembly on 18 October 2024 in Iceland, and on 13 January 2025 in London. We discussed a range of bilateral and Arctic issues. We do not publish the minutes of diplomatic meetings.
As per my response to Parliamentary Question 43796, the Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of undersea mineral extraction from nodes in the territorial waters of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The natural resources of the Falkland Islands belong to the Islanders, and as such any consideration of undersea mineral extraction is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government. The UK supports the right of the Falkland Islanders to develop their natural resources for their own economic benefit - this is an integral part of their right of self-determination.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of Chinese activity in Antarctica on (a) the environment, (b) British interests and (c) international interests.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Antarctic Treaty, of which the UK and China are members, preserves Antarctica as a place of peace and science. While there is growing global interest in the economic potential of Antarctica, the Treaty ensures all parties adhere to high environmental standards. The UK has longstanding interests in Antarctica, and we will continue to maintain a permanent presence on the continent, allowing us to conduct world-leading science, preserve British heritage, and safeguard our sovereignty of the British Antarctic Territory.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure long term unrestricted British access to the entire Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. member to the responses given to his previous Parliamentary Questions 37768 and 37368, which remains the same.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of Argentinian activity in Antarctica on (a) the environment, (b) British interests and (c) international interests.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Antarctic Treaty preserves Antarctica as a place of peace and science and ensures international cooperation. The Treaty requires Parties to share advance notice of their plans in Antarctica and all activities are subject to environmental impact assessments. The UK actively scrutinises plans to ensure compliance with the Treaty's robust environmental principles as well as the prohibition on military training and the establishment of military bases. The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the British Antarctic Territory, although the Treaty effectively places in abeyance all sovereignty claims and is committed to maintaining a permanent presence on the continent, allowing us to conduct world-leading science and preserve British heritage.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 2 April 2025 to Question 41781 on Sovereignty: Greenland, what steps he is taking to support the the (a) Government of Greenland and (b) the Kingdom of Denmark.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.
We look forward to working with Greenland's new government and will continue to maintain strong ties with all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. I have met Greenland's Foreign Minister twice since taking office and have also discussed bilateral cooperation with the Faroese Foreign Minister. The Prime Minister hosted Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen in London on 4 February for bilateral discussions.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the terms of the agreement to lease the Chagos Islands differs from the deal that the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN offered to the United States in July 2020.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) process in the usual way.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of the diplomatic relationship between the US and Denmark.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK maintains strong relations with both the US and Denmark, including as close NATO Allies, and on the shared priority of security in the High North.
The UK has a longstanding policy of respecting self-determination. The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent remarks from the United States administration on the sovereignty of Greenland.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK maintains strong relations with both the US and Denmark, including as close NATO Allies, and on the shared priority of security in the High North.
The UK has a longstanding policy of respecting self-determination. The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.