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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on the management and regulation of the UK's Marine Protected Areas and on Government plans to complete a coherent network of Marine Conservation Zones.

The Government remains committed to putting in place a well-managed Blue Belt to protect precious marine habitats and species. We are aiming for the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones to be comprehensive and complete our contribution to the ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas in the North East Atlantic. This network plays an important part in helping stem the decline of marine habitats and species and in aiding their recovery. Marine Conservation Zones are provided for through domestic legislation.

We will be exploring options over the coming months for how best to protect the species and habitats that are found in our European Marine Sites set up under the Habitats and Birds Directives.