Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Planning Inspectorate have issued guidance on the Supreme Court judgement UKSC/2022/0064 in relation to considering the potential impact of planning applications and appeals on the environment.

The Supreme Court judgement UKSC/2022/0064 clarified that downstream emissions are to be considered for oil extraction projects where those emissions are an inevitable consequence of the oil extraction.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have since consulted on draft supplementary EIA guidance for assessing the effects of scope 3 emissions on climate from offshore oil and gas projects. The consultation responses are being reviewed, and the updated guidance is expected to be published as soon as possible.