Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of Flora and Fauna International’s report entitled The Risks and Impacts of Deep Seabed Mining to Marine Ecosystems, published 12 March 2020.

The UK is implementing a precautionary principle to deep sea mining and has agreed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental standards are in place. We will consider the report and its findings as we continue to negotiate the deep sea mining regulations and the environmental standards and guidance currently being developed by the International Seabed Authority.