Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Rosebank oil field on the protected seabed, the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt.

The environmental impact of offshore oil and gas developments, including potential impacts on marine habitats such as the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area, are subject to rigorous regulatory assessment by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), including consultation with government nature protection bodies and with the public.

The Environmental Statement for the Rosebank Field Development is currently being reviewed by OPRED and a decision will be published in due course.