ARCTIC AMBASSADOR

That this House urges the Government to appoint an Arctic Ambassador to represent its interests in the polar regions; believes that doing so would ensure greater focus on British-Arctic affairs, allow greater scrutiny and coordination of British-Arctic policy development, provide a central point for initiating trade missions to the region and demonstrate a commitment to increasing the UK's engagement with Arctic countries on areas of mutual interest, such as energy, defence, shipping and environmental protection; notes that northern Scotland is geographically closer to the Arctic than London and is therefore well placed to engage with Arctic states; welcomes the Scottish Government's plans to host the Arctic Circle Forum on Scotland and the New North in November 2017; and calls on the Government to make its position clear with regard to its intentions or otherwise to appoint an Arctic Ambassador.