Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Governments of the UK Overseas Territories on creating fully enforced Marine Protected Areas in their waters.

The Government's Blue Belt commitment is ensuring that large scale Marine Protected Areas which have been designated, or are being developed, around the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) are effectively managed, monitored and enforced. We are working with the OTs Governments to implement effective monitoring and cost efficient enforcement strategies to ensure long-term protection against illegal activities. This issue was last discussed at the November Joint Ministerial Council.