Speeches by Doughty.

“When we are looking to protect the national security of this country, we will operate at the fastest and most appropriate pace that we can. This matter had been left languishing under the previous Administration, with the future of the base unsecure. We have secured it.”

“It is absolutely right that the House scrutinises these matters and it will continue to have the opportunity to do so in a range of forums; indeed, I will meet parliamentarians later today to discuss them. There appears to be collective amnesia among Conservative Members. I have raised this a number of times. Many of t…”

“We have been very clear that these negotiations are between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, and I have set out in the past the reasons for that. The interests of the Chagossians are absolutely at the heart of this agreement, and as I have said, I have repeatedly engaged with them. The hon. Gentleman continues to spec…”

“I have engaged with the Chagossian community twice in recent months, as I have made clear in answers to a number of parliamentary questions tabled by the right hon. Gentleman’s colleagues. The interest of the Chagossians will continue to be at the heart of this agreement, and I take their concerns very seriously. I am …”

“I agree with the right hon. Member’s characterisation of what happened to the Chagossians in the past. It is a matter of deep regret for this Government, and, indeed, I think that regret is shared across the House. As I have said, we will have the interests of the Chagossians at the heart of this agreement. He is right…”

“The only thing I would urge the Committee to consider, as well as small island states around the world and, indeed, the global sea rise and erosion effects globally, is that in our British family we have a number of small island states. I was just in the OTs in the Caribbean speaking with them directly about what they …”

“Thank you very much for inviting us to be here today. We take these issues extremely seriously, both within my own responsibilities but also working across government, particularly given the missions that the Prime Minister has set out on climate change, on energy and on green transition and nature protection. Those el…”

“I am Stephen Doughty. I am Minister of State at the FCDO, with responsibility for the polar regions.”

“Absolutely, Chair. We are well aware of the risks and the threats and that is why we are taking many of the actions that we are, whether that is the investment in the science, the investment in our facilities and resources, the investment in the diplomacy around this. It is one of the reasons why I have been trying to …”

“I probably would not agree with the characterisation of the treaty in that respect. We are committed to it. We are committed to making it a success. We also deal with a very complex and contested world at the moment, and we could fire off criticisms at all sorts of other multilateral agreements and bodies, but they are…”

“On that point I completely agree. I think the Antarctic and the Arctic need to have far more attention in our minds, not only for the devastating potential shifts and loss of habitat biodiversity, the sea level rise risks, the wider feedback loop risks within the global environment and climate and the oceans itself and…”

“Ultimately, I do not have a particular insight into what is going on inside the Kremlin and its policies on climate change. Obviously, Russia remains a major hydrocarbon energy producer and, equally obviously, a lot of the money raised from that is going to fund its war in Ukraine. That is why we have been taking very …”

“I am Stephen Doughty. I am Minister of State at the FCDO, with responsibility for the polar regions.”

“The bottom line, more generally, is that we are a fishing and a conservation nation, and the key thing is to be led by the science and be led by the data. That is why we put so much into that, and that is what should guide our approach going forward and will guide our approach engaging with others, too.”

“I think it is worth also pointing out, of course, that multiple projects can go on at any one time on David Attenborough. It is an incredible facility, a first-class research ship with incredible crews. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of them in the Arctic a few months back, where they had been doing their work…”

“If it is helpful, I will just say a little bit about the wider geopolitics and what is going on here. The treaty itself has been in force for 65 years. It is often described as one of the most effective international treaties. The aim of it is conflict prevention and peace in Antarctica. It has kept Antarctica as the o…”

“I should point out that we have taken over the chairship of CCAMLR now. We have nominated Robbie Bulloch as Chair of the Commission, and he is the incoming FCDO Director of the Overseas Territories and Polar from April. He is going to try to work in that role with all the parties to try to find consensus on the conserv…”

“We are always willing to try to find ways through on these crucial matters and that is particularly in our approach with China. The Foreign Secretary set out very clearly about where we need to co-operate with China on issues relating to climate, conservation and other matters. Obviously, it is quite a different circum…”

“I am not confident. I will say progress is possible, but it very much depends on the circumstances. Russia’s disregard for the international rules-based order and system at the moment is apparent for all to see. That is manifesting in multiple locations, not just in its barbarous war in Ukraine but in its behaviour in …”

“I said a little bit before about our objectives for the treaty system overall in relation to the environment and some of the protocols and ways that that works. I will say a little bit about another area that is hugely relevant, which is mineral extraction. It is obviously a concern for many people, quite rightly. The …”