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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2017 to Question 65619, on marine litter, by when she plans to make a decision on whether the UK will participate in the UN Clean Seas global campaign on marine litter; and if the Government will join that campaign ahead of the UN Oceans Conference on 5 to 9 June 2017.

The UK Government has, and continues to, put in place a range of measures to protect the marine environment from marine litter. We support the development of initiatives by other countries and organisations where they are consistent with our aims. We will make a decision as to whether to formally participate in this campaign in due course. We are not yet able to specify a date by which this decision will be made.