Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of appointing an ambassador to the Arctic to represent the Government’s interests in that region.

None. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon is Minister for the Polar Regions and is supported by the Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth's Polar Regions Department. The Government has consistently noted that such an Ambassador to the Arctic would not add significant value to existing structures and roles currently in place, nor justify the additional costs.