Through international agreements and fora, including the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the UK supports coordinated action to protect marine turtles throughout their range.

The UK’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds also support international turtle conservation by funding projects that protect turtle populations and habitats while supporting local communities. Examples include projects to strengthen turtle conservation capacity in Indonesia, plastic waste management on Diego Garcia and work to reduce illegal capture and killing of threatened turtles in Bangladesh. These projects help build local conservation expertise, improve species protection and support sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

Additionally, programmes such as the FCDO’s Blue Belt Programme, supports vital turtle conservation efforts in the UK Overseas Territories, including specific research projects on Ascension Island, home to one of the largest green turtle colonies on earth.

Through international agreements and fora, including the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the UK supports coordinated action to protect marine turtles throughout their range.

The UK’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds also support international turtle conservation by funding projects that protect turtle populations and habitats while supporting local communities. Examples include projects to strengthen turtle conservation capacity in Indonesia, plastic waste management on Diego Garcia and work to reduce illegal capture and killing of threatened turtles in Bangladesh. These projects help build local conservation expertise, improve species protection and support sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

Additionally, programmes such as the FCDO’s Blue Belt Programme, supports vital turtle conservation efforts in the UK Overseas Territories, including specific research projects on Ascension Island, home to one of the largest green turtle colonies on earth.

All scientific surveys undertaken through the Blue Belt programme are designed in line with international best practice. There were no incidental mortalities of turtle or seabird species as a result of the scientific surveys undertaken through the Blue Belt programme in either 2016-17 or 2017-18. Where possible all sharks are released alive during surveys, but in 2017-18 seven sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) were killed through depredation by other species during surveys in Tristan da Cunha.

The UK is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia and discusses implementation of the MoU with other signatory states at its triennial meetings. At the last meeting in September 2014, which the UK attended, signatory states discussed a number of turtle enforcement issues.

The UK Government has provided funding of around £550,000 to protect turtles.

The Darwin Initiative has funded projects seeking to protect turtles in developing countries and in the UK Overseas Territories. A current Darwin project is promoting the conservation and sustainable use of marine turtles in Southwest Madagascar. Another, led by the University of Exeter, is working in Peru to find a solution to the thousands of endangered turtles who die as a result of gillnet fisheries around the world by employing the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Through the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate fund, also known as Darwin Plus, Defra has funded a project in the Cayman Islands assessing how best to reduce threats to wild marine turtles.

The Flagship Species Fund, a partnership between Defra and Fauna and Flora International (FFI), has supported all six of the world’s hard-shelled marine turtle species and most recently funded a project supporting sea turtle conservation through applied research in Anguilla.

The UK Government has provided funding of around £550,000 to protect turtles.

The Darwin Initiative has funded projects seeking to protect turtles in developing countries and in the UK Overseas Territories. A current Darwin project is promoting the conservation and sustainable use of marine turtles in Southwest Madagascar. Another, led by the University of Exeter, is working in Peru to find a solution to the thousands of endangered turtles who die as a result of gillnet fisheries around the world by employing the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Through the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate fund, also known as Darwin Plus, Defra has funded a project in the Cayman Islands assessing how best to reduce threats to wild marine turtles.

The Flagship Species Fund, a partnership between Defra and Fauna and Flora International (FFI), has supported all six of the world’s hard-shelled marine turtle species and most recently funded a project supporting sea turtle conservation through applied research in Anguilla.

Neither I nor The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the FCO Minister with responsibility for the Overseas Territories, have had discussions with the Cayman Islands government about farming the Cayman Turtle for meat and tourist entertainment. Responsibility for animal welfare and tourism, is devolved to the elected government of the Cayman Islands under the terms of their Constitution.

Neither I nor The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwelath Affairs, my Noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the FCO Minister with responsibility for the Overseas Territories, have had discussions with the Cayman Islands government about the Cayman Turtle Centre (previously known as the Cayman Turtle Farm). Responsibility for animal welfare and tourism, including policies governing the Cayman Turtle Centre, is devolved to the elected government of the Cayman Islands under the terms of their Constitution.

FCO travel advice provides information and advice to help British nationals have a trouble-free time abroad. It does not offer information and advice on ethical issues such as the practice of keeping animals in captivity.

The elected government of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has devolved constitutional responsibility for animal welfare and conservation including for legislation and policies governing the Cayman Turtle Farm.

An independent investigation in 2002, carried out in support of an application to register the Cayman Turtle Farm as a captive-breeding operation under CITES, a Convention for which Defra is responsible, concluded that the standards of care at the Cayman Turtle Farm were humane.

The UK Government has been in contact with the Cayman Islands Government more recently, expressing the UK’s commitment to raising animal welfare standards and requesting an assurance that the Cayman Islands Government takes the findings of a report by the then World Society for the Protection of Animals seriously and be committed to making appropriate improvements. I am pleased to say that the Deputy Premier of the Cayman Islands, Mr Kirkconnell, gave that assurance in a response to the Secretary of State on 24 October 2013.

The UK CITES Management Authority has not made a recent assessment of whether the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane facility.

The elected Government of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has devolved constitutional responsibility for animal welfare and conservation including for legislation and policies governing the Cayman Turtle Farm. The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Cayman Islands and for their compliance with obligations arising under international law. The UK has extended the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to the Cayman Islands. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is providing technical support and advice to support the Cayman Islands in fully meeting its international environmental and conservation obligations. The UK CITES Management Authority has not made a recent assessment of whether the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane facility, but did commission an independent investigation in 2002 in support of an application for registration as a captive-breeding operation under CITES, which found it was a humane facility.

The Cayman Islands Government has constitutional responsibility for a large measure of self-government, including for decisions relating to the Cayman Turtle Farm. The recommendations in the publication are therefore the responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government. However, we note that the report contains inaccuracies about UK engagement in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, Mark Simmonds, is writing to the World Society for the Protection of Animals to bring these inaccuracies to its attention.

The UK Government’s ambition is for the natural environments of the Overseas Territories (OTs) to be protected and managed to the highest international standards, as set out in our 2012 White Paper, “The Overseas Territories Security, Success and Sustainability”. OT Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments and the UK Government works in

partnership with them to identify where our support can be most effective. On 12 May 2014, the Government published an update to the Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which provides detail of the Government’s activities on biodiversity in the OTs.

The Cayman Islands Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office signed in November 2011 the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility. This sets out the agreed principles for credible and sustainable financial management, including limits for public borrowing. The Cayman Islands Government is responsible for decisions on taxation and public spending, including deciding on the allocation of the resources to the turtle farm.

I have received a copy of the report and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is analysing it in detail. However, it is the delegated responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government to manage its natural resources effectively and appropriately and for them to consider how best to respond to the report.

Is the Secretary of State aware of the most recent piece of scientific research on the Cayman turtle farm? It supports the position of the World Society for the Protection of Animals that:

“There is no humane way to farm sea turtles”.

Will he, along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, take decisive action to alleviate the suffering of these endangered animals?

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. The matter he raises is of real concern to a number of Members who have written to me. We are taking what actions we can, but we are the Government of the UK, and he has to remember that.

There are no restrictions on the purpose of importation of captive-bred specimens of species listed on Annex A of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, such as green turtles (Chelonia mydas). As such, when an import application is being considered under the Convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), it is not necessary to seek an assurance about purpose from the applicant beyond that stated in the application.

Where the specimen subject to an import application has been captive-bred, the UK CITES management authority responsible for issuing CITES documentation (the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency) must be satisfied that the specimen complies with chapter XIII of European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 865/2006. This determination is informed by advice from the UK's Scientific Authority for fauna, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

The provisions of the Data, Protection Act 1998 prevent the disclosure of information in relation to specific import applications.

Responsibility for ensuring compliance with the relevant rules that implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lies with the UK CITES Management Authority, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). This involves following a set of procedures laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006.

As part of these procedures AHVLA seeks advice from the UK's Scientific Authority for fauna, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), on applications to import specimens of CITES-listed species, such as turtles. The advice given by JNCC on import permit applications includes whether the import would have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species in the wild and whether there are any other factors that would militate against the issuance of a permit. Further details can be found in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97. The advice given is case-specific and disclosure is prohibited by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Any imports from the Cayman Turtle Farm would need to comply with CITES regulations.

Responsibility for ensuring compliance with the relevant rules that implement the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) lies with the UK CITES Management Authority, the

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. This involves following a set of procedures laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006.

The provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 prevent the disclosure of information in relation to specific import applications.

A veterinary risk assessment is not required to facilitate the importation of sea turtles. All consignments of live animals, including these turtles, imported into the UK from third countries must enter via a specifically approved border inspection post (BIP). The importer must give 24 hours notice to the BIP of the arrival of the animals. At the BIP the consignment will be subject to a documentary, identity and physical check to ensure that the animals meet animal health requirements; have been transported in suitable conditions; and that they are healthy and fit for their onward journey.

I refer the hon. Member to my written answer given on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 818W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew).