Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extracting (a) oil and (b) gas from around the Falkland Islands on the economy of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK supports the right of the Falkland Islanders to develop their natural resources for their own economic benefit. This is an integral part of their right of self-determination. However, while there is an oil production project under active consideration, it is yet to be seen whether fossil fuel projects there will progress to production. This is a commercial decision for the companies involved, following the relevant regulatory requirements in the Falkland Islands.
Policy on hydrocarbons development – and its impact on the Territory (including its economic impact) - is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extracting (a) oil and (b) gas from around the Falkland Islands on (i) the UK's and (ii) the Falkland Islands' energy security.
Answered by Graham Stuart
UK energy security remains dependent on having access to international oil and gas markets. It is within this context that any Falklands production would contribute to domestic security of supply.
Assessing the extent to which any locally produced hydrocarbons might contribute to the security of energy supply of the Falkland Islands is something the Government will leave to the Falkland Islands Government.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to modern banking services on the Falkland Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Banking services on the Falkland Islands are regulated by the Falkland Islands Government as a self-governing UK Overseas Territory. Standard Chartered offer the only on-island retail banking option via their branch in Stanley, alongside other providers who offer other online financial services such as Square and Wise. The FCDO are working with other UK Government departments to ascertain how to ensure UK retail banking services are kept available to residents in the UK Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) readiness of the Armed Forces in relation to the security of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by James Heappey
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 9446 on 22 January 2024 to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tourism industry in the Falkland Islands and its territorial waters.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, management of the tourism industry is the prerogative of the Falkland Islands Government and their local elected leaders. According to statistics published by the Falkland Islands Tourism Board, there were over 60,000 tourists arriving on the Falkland Islands, drawn by the Territory's many attractions, including its unique wildlife and history. The UK Government's provision of sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to the Falkland Islands to protect the whole community helped support the Falkland Islanders safe reopening of the islands for leisure travel and we continue to support Falkland Islanders in representing their home overseas, for example at Expo Prado in Montevideo in September 2023.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extracting (a) oil and (b) gas from around the Falkland Islands on the UK's net zero targets.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement has not been extended to the Falkland Islands and so its emissions are not within scope of the UK’s net zero by 2050 target.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military helicopters by type of rotorcraft have been stationed on the Falkland Islands in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Heappey
There have been no military helicopters based in the Falkland Islands during the period in question.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) frigates, (b) destroyers and (c) offshore patrol vessels have been based in British territorial waters around the Falkland Islands in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Heappey
In each year since 2010 the Royal Navy has had vessels permanently based in British territorial waters around the Falkland Islands as follows:
2010: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2011: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2012: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2013: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2014: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2015: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2016: 2 (HMS CLYDE / HMS ENTERPRISE)
2017: 2 (HMS ENTERPRISE / HMS CLYDE)
2018: 1 (HMS CLYDE)
2019: 2 (HMS CLYDE / HMS SCOTT)
2020: 2 (HMS SCOTT / HMS FORTH)
2021: 1 (HMS FORTH)
2022: 1 (HMS FORTH)
2023: 2 (HMS FORTH / HMS MEDWAY)
HMS CLYDE, HMS FORTH and HMS MEDWAY are offshore patrol vessels while HMS ENTERPRISE and HMS SCOTT are Survey vessels.
Destroyers and frigates have visited Falklands territorial waters from time to time on temporary deployments and HMS PROTECTOR has spent a portion of every year since 2012 in the Falklands area, except for 2020 when she was undergoing refit in the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Falkland Islands' implementation of publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership in line with the Draft Order in Council prepared by the Secretary of State to comply with the requirement under section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018; whether that Territory has (a) introduced and (b) passed the legislation required for the creation of a publicly accessible register of company beneficial ownership; whether the register will be (i) open and (ii) free at point of access; and when the register will be (A) live and (B) operational.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of the Falkland Islands (FIG) has committed to introduce a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership (PARBO).
FIG is identifying the necessary modifications to its legislative regime to enable the creation of a PARBO that would comply with the standards set out in a written ministerial statement (HCWS369) of 14 December 2020. How the Falkland Islands seeks to recoup the costs of operating their PARBO will be a matter for the Territory Government.
FIG is assessing its timeline for implementation in light of ongoing constraints on capacity and expertise. The UK Government is providing technical assistance, most recently at the UK-OT Beneficial Ownership Transparency Technical Working Group on 10 October. We will confirm the timeline with the Falkland Islands and other Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council scheduled for 14-15 November.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF Typhoons have been stationed in the Falkland Islands in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Heappey
In each year between 2010 and 2023 inclusive there have been four RAF Typhoon aircraft permanently stationed in the Falkland Islands.