Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consultation she has undertaken with UK (a) academic and (b) research institutions on the practical implications of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill.

I refer the Hon Member to the explanatory notes and impact assessments published alongside the Bill, as well as the debates that he has taken part in during its passage to date, where these issues and many others have been addressed. Further guidance about the requirements imposed by the Bill, including in relation to Section 2(3), will be published in due course, and post-legislative evaluation will also take place in the normal way. In terms of pre- and post-collection notification, this will only require one notification per research cruise. Engagement with scientific stakeholders indicates that this is unlikely to be a significant burden, and that differentiated reporting requirements are not required.