Written question asked by Roger Godsiff (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 December 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 January 2016 (named day). It was answered by Lord Swire (Conservative) on Tuesday, 5 January 2016 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Whales

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the governments of (a) Japan, (b) Norway and (c) Iceland on whaling.

Answer: This Government continues to raise its opposition to whaling with Japan, Norway and Iceland at every appropriate opportunity, including through correspondence and during bilateral meetings, making clear the strength of opposition to whaling in the UK. In 2014 our Ambassador to Norway called on Norway’s Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission on 4 September. The UK joined a demarche against Iceland on 15 September 2014 and, during his visit to Iceland in October 2015, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised whaling with Prime Minister Gunnlaugsson. On 7 December 2015, the UK, together with 32 other countries, delivered a demarche to Japan in response to the Japanese government’s decision to recommence research (special permit) whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Secondary information