Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has any statutory responsibilities for highly-protected marine areas in Scottish waters that are outside the limit of the territorial sea.

The Scottish Government has the powers to designate MPAs and HPMAs in the Scottish inshore waters (up to 12 nautical miles from the coast). The designation of MPAs and HPMAs in offshore water (more than 12 nautical miles from the coast) are reserved to the UK Government.