Written question asked by Kevin Foster (Conservative) on Monday, 4 December 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 December 2017. It was answered by Greg Hands (Conservative) on Tuesday, 12 December 2017 on behalf of the Department for International Trade.

Whales: Iceland

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy to seek the cessation of Icelandic whaling as part of any future trade negotiations with Iceland.

Answer: The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. The UK government’s position on the hunting of cetaceans is clear; we remain strongly opposed to it and strongly support the global moratorium on commercial whaling. We have committed publically on a number of occasions to raising the UK’s opposition to whaling with the relevant nations at every appropriate opportunity. We are exploring all options in the design of future bilateral trade and investment agreements and we want to ensure economic growth and environmental protection go hand-in-hand.

Secondary information