Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has received representations on the establishment of a Marine Protected Area in the Weddell Sea; and if he will make a statement.

The UK is a co-proponent for Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposals in the Weddell Sea and in East Antarctica, both of which will be presented to the next Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting in October for adoption. As an active member of the CCAMLR, the UK is leading calls for the development and establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas across the Southern Ocean.