Written Question

Deep Sea Mining: Norway

Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Mott (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by Norway to become the first country in the world to commence commercial deep seabed mining and the impact on the UK.

Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK government notes the Norwegian government’s decision of 9 January 2024 to consider awarding licences for deep sea mining exploration and potentially in future extraction on its continental shelf. This area is within Norway’s jurisdiction and is not regulated by the International Seabed Authority.

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Written Question

Norway: Deep Sea Mining

Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Mott (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent decision by Norway to allow deep seabed mining, what position they will take on the issue at the 29th Session of the International Seabed Authority.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK government notes the Norwegian government's decision of 10 January 2024 to consider awarding licences for deep sea mining exploration and potentially in future extraction on its continental shelf. This area is within Norway's jurisdiction and is not regulated by the International Seabed Authority.

At the 29th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) the UK will be maintaining its support for a moratorium (announced on 30th October 2023) on the granting of exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects by the ISA. We recognise the growing pressure to extract deep-sea resources and are concerned about the potential impacts of mining activities on the fragile marine environment. The UK will not sponsor or support the issuing of any such exploitation licences for deep sea mining by the ISA unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems.

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Non-Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street

Oct. 13 2023

Source Page: PM meeting with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 13 October 2023
Document: PM meeting with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 13 October 2023 (webpage)

Found: PM meeting with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 13 October 2023

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Select Committee

International Relations and Defence Committee Arctic Inquiry: Norway and Finland visit 4–8 September 2023

Engagement document Sep. 21 2023

Committee: International Relations and Defence Committee

Found: International Relations and Defence Committee Arctic Inquiry: Norway and Finland visit 4–8 September

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Deposited Papers

Nov. 01 2011

Source Page: Cancer survival in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the UK, 1995-2007 (the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership): an analysis of population-based cancer registry data. [Published article.] 12 p.
Document: DEP2011-1669.pdf (PDF)

Found: Cancer survival in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the UK, 1995-2007 (the International

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Select Committee

Boston University, Government of Norway, and Government of Netherlands

Oral Evidence Sep. 20 2023

Inquiry: Electric Vehicles
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Environment and Climate Change Committee

Found: Boston University, Government of Norway, and Government of Netherlands Oral Evidence

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Select Committee

8th Report - Scrutiny of International Agreements: Convention on Social Security Coordination between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the UK

Report Sep. 13 2023

Committee: European Affairs Committee

Found: International Agreements: Convention on Social Security Coordination between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

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