Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Italian counterpart on (a) the seizure of international NGO vessels and (b) its potential violations of international maritime law.

The United Kingdom and Italy participate frequently in discussions on Mediterranean migration, most recently at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 15 July, the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 18 July, and at an informal Ministerial meeting hosted by France on 22 July. These discussions include the role of NGO-operated Search and Rescue vessels and relevant international maritime law. There are divergent views amongst EU member States. The United Kingdom supports a predictable mechanism for the disembarkation and relocation of rescued migrants, and for all signatories to meet their obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.