To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to oppose the lifting of the moratorium on commercial whaling; and if he will write in opposition to lifting of the ban to his counterparts in (a) Denmark, (b) other member Governments of the European Union, (c) St. Lucia, (d) St. Vincent and The Grenadines, (e) Antigua and Barbuda, (f) Dominica, (g) Grenada, (h) St. Kitts and Nevis, (i) Solomon Islands, (j) Belize, (k) Toralu, (l) Kinibati, (m) The Gambia, (n) Cameroon and Nauru, (o) other Commonwealth members of the International Whaling Commission and (p) other members of the International Whaling Commission. (131144)

The UK will continue to protest at the highest diplomatic level against the resumption of commercial whaling and we will continue our efforts, along with other countries, to urge those countries that support whaling to reconsider their position.

DEFRA officials ensure that Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts in the relevant capitals are briefed, and engage in discussion with their counterparts on whaling at every appropriate opportunity. This ensures that these countries are in no doubt of the importance that the UK attaches to whale conservation. UK embassies and Ministers across Government will continue to lobby on this issue in the run-up to the next annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Alaska in May.