Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1110339

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic Treaty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution the UK Government makes to the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	241978
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The UK’s contribution to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat for the 2019/2020 financial year was $60,347 USD, which was paid in January 2019. Details of annual contributions by all Antarctic Treaty Parties can be found in the meeting records of each Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting at <a href="http://www.ats.aq/" target="_blank">www.ats.aq</a>.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/04/2019 16:35:51 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1110340

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic Treaty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK’s obligations are under the Antarctic Treaty.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	241979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The UK is fully committed to the Antarctic Treaty and its objective to preserve the continent for peace and science. The Treaty sets out the obligations of Parties, including the participation in, and facilitation of, Antarctic Treaty inspections and the participation in annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Formal decisions taken by Antarctic Treaty Parties come into force internationally when they have been approved by all Parties. The UK is one of only a few Parties to be up-to-date with this process. The UK is also a Member of the Commission of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which sets out rights and obligations for managing fisheries in the Southern Ocean; and a Party to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which ensures that all activities undertaken by British nationals are pre-planned and potential environmental impacts are mitigated. The Antarctic Acts 1994 and 2013 establish the UK’s obligations under the Treaty, the Convention and the Protocol in domestic legislation.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/04/2019 16:37:25 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1110341

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic: China
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the use of bases belonging to the Peoples Republic of China in the Antarctic.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	241980
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>China has established four scientific stations in Antarctica and is currently establishing a fifth. In terms of number of scientific papers, during the period 2011-2015, China ranked sixth (the UK was second) and its scientific activities have continued to increase. Its scientific stations are strategically located across Antarctica and underline China’s ambition to increase their influence within the Antarctic Treaty System. China has stated its objective to ‘understand, protect and use’ Antarctica. Whilst the UK, and many other Parties, have expressed concern regarding China’s reference to the ‘use’ of Antarctica, in light of the Treaty’s objectives of Conservation and protection, there is no evidence to date of China undertaking any activities in contravention to the Treaty.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/04/2019 16:39:00 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1110342

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic: China
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether bases in the Antarctic belonging to the People's Republic of China have been inspected under the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	241981
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>In the past 20 years, China's Great Wall Station, based in the British Antarctic Territory, has been inspected 12 times, including 4 times by the UK, most recently in 2012. Zhongshan, in the Australia Antarctic Territory has been inspected 3 times. Kunlun (established in 2009) and Taishan (established in 2014) have yet to be formally inspected. The conclusion of the most recent inspection to Great Wall station by the UK, Netherlands and Spain, was that the station facilities had been recently expanded and was one of the best equipped in the region, and that there appeared to be scope for more international collaboration on science programmes. China welcomed the inspection and committed to increase scientific collaboration at the station.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/04/2019 16:40:47 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1110343

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic: China
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether military activities have been detected in the bases belonging to the People’s Republic of China in the Antarctic; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	241982
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>No military activities have been detected in the bases belonging to the People's Republic of China in the Antarctic. The Antarctic Treaty does not prevent the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose. All inspections and observations of Chinese Antarctic scientific stations have concluded that operations are in full compliance with the Antarctic Treaty. Along with other Parties, the UK will also continue to monitor closely activities by China and other states to ensure compliance with the Antarctic Treaty.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/04/2019 16:42:19 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching