Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of suspending the Trade Agreement with the Faroe Islands until she receives a legally binding commitment from the government of the Faroe Islands that it will cease all further whale and dolphin hunts.

HM Government is strongly opposed to the hunting of whales and dolphins. Multiple government colleagues and I have raised this issue directly with the government of the Faroe Islands. The Faroes are reviewing the hunt and have recently proposed a catch limit for white-sided dolphins. The fact of our trade agreement strengthens our ability to have these full and frank discussions and influence on crucial issues like animal welfare. As these hunts are not illegal in local law, there are no provisions under the Free Trade Agreement for the UK to suspend it on this basis. We will continue to use our relationship to lobby the Faroes to stop this practice altogether.