Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the formal request from the Ascension Island Council for long-term financial support for its Marine Protected Area.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not received a formal request from the Ascension Island Government for long-term financial support for its Marine Protected Area. The FCO continues to work closely with our delivery partners to prepare the case for ongoing long-term support to those Territories who have participated in the Blue Belt programme, including Ascension. The Government recognises that there is a need to ensure that designated Marine Protected Areas are monitored and managed to the appropriate international standard.