Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential environmental impacts of new offshore oil and gas licences on marine protected areas.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) officials work closely together on achieving the dual aims of Net Zero and protection of the marine environment. The environmental impact of all proposed offshore oil and gas developments are considered by the relevant regulator (Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning and/or North Sea Transition Authority) when considering them for consent.