Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of offshore wind on marine life.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Policy Statements for energy set out that each offshore wind planning application must satisfy a number of grounds before it can go ahead. These include how the developer is avoiding, mitigating and compensating for impacts on the natural environment, as well as how any mitigation and compensation will be delivered. Information on individual planning applications can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
The Government has committed to delivering the Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package, which will help accelerate offshore wind delivery while continuing to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provisions of the Marine Policy Statement 2011 in the context of achieving his Department’s policy on new oil and gas licencing.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In March, the Government consulted on its commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields.
The Marine Policy Statement was published in 2011 under a previous government. It includes support for oil and gas exploration.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this aspect of the Statement is unlikely to carry any practical effect in future.
Updating the Statement would be resource intensive for all governments involved. Instead, the Government is taking a more strategic approach to marine spatial planning, developing colocation solutions and working with the Marine Management Organisation on the replacement of the East Marine Plan.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason blue carbon habitats are not currently included in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Where appropriate, the impacts on the natural environment including coastal zones and the marine environment, are considered in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments as required under the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the non-pipeline transport of CO₂ for offshore storage does not cause marine pollution.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has an established environmental regulatory regime in place to protect human health and the environment, with the Environment Agency (EA), and Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), and Natural Resource Wales (NRW) for projects based in Wales, all evaluating the environmental impacts of CCUS projects. The Statutory Nature Conservations Bodies are also consulted as part of this process. The UK ETS Authority has also consulted on proposals to requiring ships transporting CO2 for offshore storage to monitor and report emissions.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will set out how the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan will take into account the distribution of (a) seagrasses and (b) other blue carbon stores when determining the (i) optimal locations, (ii) quantities, and (iii) types of energy infrastructure at sea.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) will treat blue carbon stores, such as seagrass beds, saltmarshes and subtidal/intertidal biogenic reefs, as environmental constraints in its spatial evaluation framework. It will draw on datasets such as NIRAS’s MPA Risk Layers and The Crown Estate’s Marine Irreplaceable Habitats. The SSEP will be updated every 3 years, and as more data becomes available on blue carbon stores it will be considered in future iterations of the SSEP.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set out the role (a) seagrasses and (b) marine nature-based solutions will have in his Department's net zero plans.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has set out a clear mission to make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower and accelerate progress towards Net Zero. Achieving this ambition within Defra sectors requires enhanced decarbonisation efforts alongside strengthened nature-based solutions.
The Net Zero pathway for Carbon Budgets 4-6 includes nature-based measures aimed at protecting existing ecosystems, restoring degraded landscapes, and creating or sustainably managing new ecosystems. Defra is actively exploring the role of marine nature-based solutions, such as seagrass and saltmarsh restoration, to deliver both carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits.
Through the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) Defra is working with Devolved Governments and DESNZ to address key blue carbon research questions, including assessing their carbon storage potential. The UKBCEP has established a working group and earlier this year Defra published a roadmap to help to address the evidence gaps preventing the inclusion of coastal wetlands in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of innovation funding on the Levelised Cost of Energy of marine energy technologies; and what steps he is taking to support these emerging renewables.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department has not directly undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of innovation funding on the Levelised Cost of Energy of marine energy technologies,
However, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in their 2018 Tidal Stream and Wave Energy Cost Reduction and Industrial Benefit study examined the potential impact of additional focus on innovation on cost reduction of marine technologies.
The Government continues to provide innovative support for marine energy technologies though a suite of a suite of research funding programmes, including through UK Research and Innovation.
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) marine and maritime and (b) tourism and creative industries will be included in the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences and Professional and Business Services.
Sector Plans for the eight growth-driving sectors will be published alongside the Industrial Strategy in Spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review. The Sector Plans will set out the specific sub-sectors of focus, identify key barriers to growth, and describe how government and industry intend to achieve long-term growth for the sector.
All sectors will benefit from wider policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, and consumers to spend with confidence.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the deployment of offshore energy does not adversely impact (a) the fishing industry and (b) marine (i) habitats and (ii) ecosystems.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Further to the written statement I made on 29th January 2025, this Government has committed to deliver an Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package, which supports the Clean Power 2030 Mission. This will support the accelerated deployment of offshore wind developments while protecting our marine habitats and ecosystems. This includes establishing a Marine Recovery Fund to deliver strategic environmental compensation for unavoidable impacts to Marine Protected Areas.
More broadly the Department is leading the cross Government marine spatial prioritisation programme. This is looking at how to take a more strategic approach to managing the increased demands on the marine space, including from future offshore wind, alongside nature’s recovery in English waters. This Government will ensure that the fishing industry is supported to adapt to the increased spatial pressures.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that sea users are not adversely impacted by offshore energy development.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature.
Through the cross-government Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri), the Department is engaging across government and with marine users to improve its understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location.
The Department is working with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for marine sectors, to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed as we develop future offshore wind.