Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether environmental treaties agreed by the EU in lieu of its member states, such as the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury, will remain binding on the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

The UK has signed the Minamata Convention in its own right, and intends to ratify the Convention in 2018, once our domestic implementing legislation is in force. As such, the UK will then continue to be a party to this Convention following exit.

The UK has a proud history of environmental protection which predates our accession to the EU (e.g. the 1956 Clean Air Act) and much EU environmental legislation is in line with UK environmental aims.

The Department for Exiting the European Union, in conjunction with other Departments, is working to identify the full range of international agreements that will be impacted by our exit from the EU. We recognise that in certain circumstances we will need to take action to maintain our commitment to environmental agreements.

We will work with our international partners to seek to maintain the relationships and cooperation we currently enjoy as we exit the EU.