Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what research his Department has conducted or reviewed into the effect of military naval sonar on the navigation of whales and other cetaceans since 2004.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD), together with NATO and other international partners, is actively involved in developing knowledge of the effect that use of military sonar has on the marine ecosystem. Since 2008 it has used the Environmental Risk Management Capability (ERMC), a Decision Support Tool that utilises the underpinning research conducted over the past 20 years.

The MOD continues to fund relevant research including behavioural effects, marine mammal distribution, and marine mammal mitigation capability. The MOD also maintains a robust independent review process that ensures that relevant science is reviewed against the current ERMC practice and, where necessary, implemented. This ongoing process is supported by leading independent marine science organisations and the Government's Joint Nature Conservation Committee.