§ 17. Mr. Brian White (Milton Keynes, North-East)What instructions he has given to posts abroad in relation to policy on environmental protection. [79962]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Tony Lloyd)The environment is an important and increasing priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Through our posts abroad, and our role in a wide range of international organisations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes a real contribution to the Government's environmental agenda, which is of course led by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Recent instructions to posts have covered a variety of subjects, from institutional aspects of oceans governance to negotiations on the biosafety protocol and the environmental aspects of the Budget.
§ Mr. WhiteI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Given that globalisation is still having an adverse effect on many parts of the world—for example, rain forests are still disappearing at an alarming rate—does he agree that there should be widespread reform of global institutions such as the World bank, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations, to ensure that environmental protection is placed at the top of the agenda?
§ Mr. LloydMy hon. Friend raises an important point. The need to ensure a greening of global governance is high on the Government's agenda. That includes the international financial institutions, the World bank and the International Monetary Fund. My hon. Friend will be glad to know that precisely those ideas appeared on the agenda of the G8 recently, and that the G8 has called on the IMF and the World bank to consider their own environmental responsibilities. We very strongly support the United 693 Nations Secretary-General's demand for reform of environmental governance at United Nations level. We are therefore trying to meet my hon. Friend's requests.
§ Mr. Owen Paterson (North Shropshire)The environment around the Falkland Islands is being devastated by the poaching this year of up to 30,000 tonnes of illegally taken squid. The Falkland Islands Government have had approval for the delivery of a 20 mm weapon, which has suffered lamentable delays. They have put in an application to use a locally available 0.5 inch gun. What instructions has the Foreign Office given the newly appointed governor of the Falkland Islands to save the Falkland Islands environment by arming with locally available weapons?
§ Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East)Answer.
§ Mr. LloydYes, I will answer. We have given permission for the arming of the naval protection vessel with an appropriate weapon, but the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr. Paterson) and the people of the islands must take into consideration the fact that, although there is a right to protect fishing stocks, and in this instance that right includes permission for the use, under carefully controlled rules of engagement, of a lethal weapon, they also have duties to ensure that any use of force does not go beyond those rules of engagement. Consideration of what are acceptable rules of engagement is obviously central to the deployment of any system. We are working hard and we are in close and detailed discussion with both the Falkland Islands Government and the fishing industry there to ascertain how we can provide a satisfactory framework to deal with poaching. We have, as I have said, already given permission for a cannon to be available for fisheries protection.