Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) The Crown Estate to help ensure that the deployment of offshore energy does not negatively impact the marine environment.

The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided.

The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.