Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the environmental duties under the Companies Act 2006 relating to mining activities.

The Companies Act 2006 requires directors of all companies to have regard to environmental matters when performing their duty to promote the success of the company.

The reporting requirements of the Companies Act provide transparency in relation to how directors have had regard to environmental matters, enabling companies and their directors to be held to account for actions which may have environmental impacts.