Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to strengthen the marine protected area around (a) the South Sandwich Islands and (b) South Georgia.

The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) is currently undertaking the second 5-year review of its Marine Protected Area (MPA). GSGSSI launched the review with a 2-day science symposium in June 2023 and is currently assessing the extent to which existing provisions are delivering the objectives of the MPA. GSGSSI is committed to reporting on its review by early next year.