Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the judgement in R (on the application of Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) (Appellant) v Surrey County Council and others (Respondents) UKSC 2022/0064, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of that judgement on existing licences for oil production.

The Department is considering the outcome of the Finch case and the potential impacts of this across its portfolio and cannot comment further at this time.