Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had on the potential merits of imposing a moratorium on deep sea mining with her counterparts in (a) France, (b) New Zealand, (c) Chile and (d) other countries which have introduced a ban or a moratorium on deep sea mining .

The UK is fully engaged in the ongoing negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council and Assembly. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office leads the UK delegation to the ISA.

The UK’s policy is not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems, and strong enforceable environmental Regulations, Standards and Guidelines have been developed by the ISA and are in place. The UK’s approach is both precautionary and conditional.