Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on extending UK Seabed Resources’ first exploration licence for deep sea mining beyond 2022.

There have been no recent discussions. The two licences issued to UK Seabed Resources in 2012 and 2013 are for exploration, and not exploitation (mining) activity. The licences are granted subject to periodic review, and so would not be extended beyond 10 years without a review by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, which is in line with the relevant legislation.

Exploitation is not currently permitted to be conducted, and the International Seabed Authority is still working towards exploitation regulations that would need to be in place. A full Environmental Impact Assessment – subject to public consultation – would be required before any mining could be conducted by UK Seabed Resources or any other operator.

Critical materials, and particularly certain types of minerals and metals, will be vital to delivering the green transition and safeguarding our future economic resilience. Technology-critical minerals and metals are important, and often irreplaceable, in electric vehicle batteries, offshore wind turbines, and other technologies. The World Bank estimates that three billion tonnes of metals and minerals will be needed to decarbonise the global energy system by 2050. The Government will therefore continue to consider possible mechanisms that could support this green transition, including the possible role of deep sea mining.