Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department plans to take to consult relevant stakeholders on deep-sea mining polices.

The UK’s approach is both precautionary and conditional. As a responsible international actor and Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the UK is fully engaged in the negotiations underway at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and will work closely with partners who are committed to ensuring the highest environmental standards are embedded in the Regulatory framework of the ISA.

We would engage in public consultation ahead of making a decision to issue any UK-sponsored deep sea mining exploitation licence.