Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Faroese Minister for Fisheries on cetacean hunts.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 14 October 2024 in response to Question 7965.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 87145 on Driving Licenses, if she will provide this information by nationality.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The data requested is provided in the attached table which shows the number of GB licences exchanged for a licence issued in each of the countries listed. Please note that this will not necessarily be the nationality of the licence holder. The table also includes licences issued in exchange for a licence issued in Northern Ireland, the Crown Dependencies, the British Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to strengthen enforcement of border checks to prevent illegal imports of products of animal origin following recent foot and mouth disease outbreaks in (a) Hungary and (b) surrounding countries.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Port health authorities and local authorities are responsible for checks on products of animal origin (POAO) at Border Control Posts (BCPs). Border Force is responsible for conducting checks to detect illegal imports of POAO outside BCPs.
Following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Hungary, we advised BCP officials of the immediate suspension of imports from Hungary and Slovakia of untreated POAO from FMD susceptible animals. We also advised Border Force of the ban on personal imports of POAO from FMD susceptible species, from these two countries.
Following the subsequent outbreak of FMD in Slovakia, we advised BCP officials of the immediate extension of the above restrictions to Austria. We also advised Border Force of the extension of the personal imports ban to Austria and subsequently to the European Economic Area, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the total value of trade (a) imports and (b) exports of fish and crustaceans between the UK and the Faroe Islands for financial year (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman or lady Parliamentary Question of 12th March is attached.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the value of trade (a) imports and (b) exports between the UK and the Faroe Islands for financial year (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman or lady Parliamentary Question of 12th March is attached.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has plans to meet with the Faroese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade to discuss cetacean hunts.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government is strongly opposed to the hunting of whales and dolphins. The Secretary of State currently has no plans to meet with the Faroese Minster of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade. However, the Department for Business and Trade regularly engages the Faroese government on this important matter. Officials meet annually under the Joint Committee of the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement, and UK officials highlight our strong opposition to the practice at every opportunity.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 10 October 2024 to Question 6928 on Fish Products: Faroe Islands, when his response to the public consultation on fairer food labelling will be published.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will publish a response to this consultation in due course.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to PQ 6928.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant of the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23271 on Faroe Islands and Greenland: Politics and Government, what the Minister of State for Europe and North America discussed with his counterparts from Greenland in those meetings.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I have met with Greenlandic Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, twice since taking office. The first time, at the Arctic Circle Assembly in October 2024, we discussed the UK's Arctic policy, security, trade and bilateral relations. The second time in London, in January 2025, we discussed the Kingdom of Denmark's chairship of the Arctic Council in 2025, Arctic policy, security, trade as well as bilateral relations.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark on (a) Greenland and (b) the Faroe Islands since taking office.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK values its strong partnerships with all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark and engages accordingly. On 13 January, I held my second meeting with Greenland's Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, in London, to discuss bilateral relations. This followed our first meeting at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland in October. I also met the Faroese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Høgni Hoydal, in October. FCDO Officials regularly engage with Danish, Faroese and Greenlandic counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions the Joint Committee established by the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom has had about whale and dolphin hunts.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government is strongly opposed to the hunting of whales and dolphins. The Department for Business and Trade utilises the opportunities provided by the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement to engage the Faroese government on this important matter. The UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee meets annually, and UK officials highlight our strong opposition to the practice at every opportunity, including at the last meeting in February 2024.