Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to incorporate the judgement in UKSC 2022/0064 into the decision-making process for oil and gas licences.

The Supreme Court's Finch judgment relates to Environmental Impact Assessments associated with applications for development consent for offshore oil and gas projects that have already secured a licence. On 30 October the Government launched a consultation on guidance that will help developers understand how to account for the Court judgment when undertaking Environmental Impact Assessments associated with those consent applications. The consultation will close on 8 January and the Government aims to have the finalised guidance in place in the Spring.