Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he would withhold consent for the grant of a new petroleum exploration licence under the Falkland Islands Offshore Minerals Ordinance 1994 where such a licence had been approved by the Falkland Islands Government.

The right of the Falkland Islanders to develop their natural resources for their own economic benefit is integral to their right of self-determination. When deciding whether to consent to new hydrocarbons licences in the Falkland Islands, the Secretary of State acts in accordance with applicable Falkland Islands legislation. UK oil and gas licensing policy does not apply in the Falkland Islands.

I met Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly on 3 September and discussed ongoing economic development projects in the Falklands.