Written questions by Gardiner.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether in implementing Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 the government can strengthen the provisions of the Act to include an absolute standard of deforestation rather than focussing on producer country legality and whether this can be done in secondary legislation or would require an amendment to the Act itself.

The forest risk commodities regime in the Environment Act 2021 extends only to commodities that are illegally produced. The Government recognises the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government is actively considering the best regulatory approach to address deforestation in UK supply chains; we will set out this approach in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the new UK listing regime is aligned with climate and net zero policies, while maintaining investor protection and market integrity.

Last year, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) delivered an ambitious modernisation of the UK’s listing rules, to bring the UK in line with international best practice. From 19 January 2026, the UK’s new Prospectus regime will cut the paperwork firms need to produce when they IPO and raise capital, while providing better, more relevant information to investors. The government’s work to finalise the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) is a core part of the government’s ambition to make the UK a global hub for green and transition finance activity. These standards are based on the interoperable standards published by the International Sustainability Standards Board in June 2023 and aim to support long-term investor decision making by providing high quality and comparable information and on sustainability-related risks and opportunities that businesses face. The government consultation on UK SRS closed on 17 September. The government is currently processing feedback and will publish its response in due course along with the final set of standards for voluntary use. Separately, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that they will be consulting soon on how UK SRS is applied to publicly listed companies.

If he will steps he will take to prevent Drax power station from burning old growth forest wood in its power station between now and 2027.

We work closely with Ofgem on monitoring environmental regulations and forestry practices in areas where biomass is sourced to ensure the sustainability of the feedstock coming to the UK. In October 2023 Drax adopted a policy of not sourcing material directly from old growth areas in British Columbia for Drax Power Station in Selby. As a result of Ofgem’s investigation, Drax are currently conducting a global review of their supply chain through an independent auditor. We will carefully consider the results of this audit. From 2027 onwards, the new Low Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference strengthens sustainability requirements by ensuring no subsidy is paid for electricity generated from primary material harvested from primary forest or old growth areas.

What discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on strengthening climate-related disclosure requirements within IPO documentation for fossil fuel companies.

Last year, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) delivered an ambitious modernisation of the UK’s listing rules, to bring the UK in line with international best practice. From 19 January 2026, the UK’s new Prospectus regime will cut the paperwork firms need to produce when they IPO and raise capital, while providing better, more relevant information to investors. The government’s work to finalise the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) is a core part of the government’s ambition to make the UK a global hub for green and transition finance activity. These standards are based on the interoperable standards published by the International Sustainability Standards Board in June 2023 and aim to support long-term investor decision making by providing high quality and comparable information and on sustainability-related risks and opportunities that businesses face. The government consultation on UK SRS closed on 17 September. The government is currently processing feedback and will publish its response in due course along with the final set of standards for voluntary use. Separately, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that they will be consulting soon on how UK SRS is applied to publicly listed companies.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the UK listings requirements for fossil fuel companies are consistent with (a) the Supreme Court ruling in Finch v Surrey County Council and (b) the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion, which both require Scope 3 emissions to be included in project Environmental Impact Assessments.

Last year, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) delivered an ambitious modernisation of the UK’s listing rules, to bring the UK in line with international best practice. From 19 January 2026, the UK’s new Prospectus regime will cut the paperwork firms need to produce when they IPO and raise capital, while providing better, more relevant information to investors. The government’s work to finalise the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) is a core part of the government’s ambition to make the UK a global hub for green and transition finance activity. These standards are based on the interoperable standards published by the International Sustainability Standards Board in June 2023 and aim to support long-term investor decision making by providing high quality and comparable information and on sustainability-related risks and opportunities that businesses face. The government consultation on UK SRS closed on 17 September. The government is currently processing feedback and will publish its response in due course along with the final set of standards for voluntary use. Separately, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that they will be consulting soon on how UK SRS is applied to publicly listed companies.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the recruitment process to appoint a new Chair of the Office For Environmental Protection has not yet commenced.

Defra has initiated the internal process for appointing a new Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection, which includes consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, and relevant Select Committees. The competition will be launched shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on marine geo-engineering.

Marine-based GGR techniques present potential environmental risks that need to be managed alongside potential climate benefits. Our priorities are developing the evidence base and establishing a science-based framework for regulation of these techniques.

Whether he plans to bring forward primary legislation to ban new oil and gas licences.

The Government has committed to not issue new licences to explore new fields while managing existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan. On 1 October, the Secretary of State announced legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England. Our ‘Building the North Sea’s energy future’ consultation, which closed earlier this year, sought views on how we should implement these commitments. We will respond in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) amending the Protected Landscapes duty under section 245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, (b) publishing supporting regulations and (c) updating guidance.

We are working with a range of partners to consider the impact of the Protected Landscapes Duty. The duty is intended to facilitate better outcomes for England’s Protected Landscapes, which are in line with their statutory purposes. In December, Government published guidance on the Protected Landscapes duty to ensure public bodies operating in these areas, including water companies, deliver better environmental outcomes working together with Protected Landscape organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to send a delegation to the (a) 47th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Convention and (b) 20th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol meeting.

The 47th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Convention and 20th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol will take place from 27-31 October 2025. The UK will send a delegation.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provisions of the Marine Policy Statement 2011 in the context of achieving his Department’s policy on new oil and gas licencing.

In March, the Government consulted on its commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields. The Marine Policy Statement was published in 2011 under a previous government. It includes support for oil and gas exploration. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this aspect of the Statement is unlikely to carry any practical effect in future. Updating the Statement would be resource intensive for all governments involved. Instead, the Government is taking a more strategic approach to marine spatial planning, developing colocation solutions and working with the Marine Management Organisation on the replacement of the East Marine Plan.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency on marine geoengineering.

As set out in ARIA’s Framework Agreement, ARIA has unique operational freedoms, including over its research and project choice and its procedures. This independence allows ARIA to take bold steps to better understand the world we live in, and the Government supports ARIA exploring critical areas like this.The government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification. ARIA is an independent research body, and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of its risks and impacts. ARIA are not funding experiments that release toxic materials to the environment. The government supports ARIA’s mission to fund transformational research programmes with long-term benefits.For further detail on ARIA’s ‘Exploring Climate Cooling’ programme specifically, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer that was provided on 2 May 2025 to Question UIN 47970.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the risk that seafood imports from (a) China, (b) Russia and (c) countries yellow-carded by the EU may be linked to (i) illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and (ii) human rights abuses.

The UK has retained the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulation following its departure from the EU and continues to apply its provisions. While the UK has not formally adopted the EU’s carding system, it does enforce import bans on seafood from countries that have been red-carded by the EU, such as Cambodia, Comoros, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Imports and landings from vessels listed on the UK’s IUU vessel list are also prohibited. Imports from yellow-carded countries are permitted to avoid unnecessary trade disruption because marking these countries as IUU offenders may undermine their efforts to improve compliance and address IUU fishing. The UK keeps issues related to IUU fishing and human rights abuses in seafood supply chains under active review, and we welcome robust evidence from stakeholders to inform future policy development.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to adopt a digitised catch certificate scheme that is interoperable with the EU’s new CATCH IT system for (a) receiving and (b) processing seafood catch certificates.

The UK will be updating the information required on catch certificates this year. These changes will focus on ensuring the robustness of the data on traceability measures and will ensure that UK exporters can continue to re-export seafood originating from other countries to the EU. The UK’s Fish Export Service (FES) enables exporters to generate electronic IUU catch documentation, including catch certificates. The UK also plans to integrate FES with the EU’s CATCH system in 2026 to support system interoperability.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has provided to (a) the Marine Management Organisation and (b) port health authorities on applying a risk-based approach to identifying seafood consignments for scrutiny under illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing regulations.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) provides training and guidance to port health authorities (PHAs) on implementing the UK’s IUU Regulation, which PHAs apply through their local risk-based approaches. Where concerns arise, the MMO engages with third-country authorities to resolve the issue or reject the consignment. Defra attends monthly PHA forums chaired by the MMO, where issues related to IUU imports and risk assessment are discussed. At these meetings, Defra provides policy advice to support the operational guidance shared by the MMO and PHAs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the trends in the number of verifications of catch certificates accompanying seafood imports undertaken by UK authorities.

Defra and the Marine Management Organisation work closely with Devolved Governments, Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities to ensure illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing documentary checks are completed at the border and appropriate verifications are conducted on seafood imports to the UK. Verifications, defined under Article 17 of the UK’s IUU Regulation, are formal checks beyond standard documentary reviews. Competent Authorities conduct risk-based checks, and if concerns arise, the MMO may hold consignments and carry out verifications.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting an EU-style carding system to (a) warn and (b) sanction states that are not sufficiently tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The UK has retained the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulation following its departure from the EU and continues to apply its provisions. While the UK has not formally adopted the EU’s carding system, it does enforce import bans on seafood from countries that have been red-carded by the EU, such as Cambodia, Comoros, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Imports and landings from vessels listed on the UK’s IUU vessel list are also prohibited. Imports from yellow-carded countries are permitted to avoid unnecessary trade disruption because marking these countries as IUU offenders may undermine their efforts to improve compliance and address IUU fishing. The UK keeps issues related to IUU fishing and human rights abuses in seafood supply chains under active review, and we welcome robust evidence from stakeholders to inform future policy development.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to update the catch certificate system for seafood imports to mirror upcoming changes being made by the EU to its catch certificate scheme.

The UK will be updating the information required on catch certificates this year. These changes will focus on ensuring the robustness of the data on traceability measures and will ensure that UK exporters can continue to re-export seafood originating from other countries to the EU. The UK’s Fish Export Service (FES) enables exporters to generate electronic IUU catch documentation, including catch certificates. The UK also plans to integrate FES with the EU’s CATCH system in 2026 to support system interoperability.

What steps he has taken to assess the suitability of Glomar Minerals Ltd as a licence holder for deep sea exploration.

UK Seabed Resources Limited remains the holder of the UK’s two deep sea mining licences following its sale to Glomar Minerals Ltd. The UK government is carrying out a thorough review of Glomar Minerals Ltd and the UK’s sponsorship of UK Seabed Resources Limited under UNCLOS and the Exploration Regulations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance he has issued to the UK delegation to the International Seabed Authority about the establishment of a global moratorium on deep sea mining following recent legal analysis of President Trump's Executive order on deep sea mining.

The UK supports a moratorium on the granting of exploitation contracts for deep sea mining projects by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). We will not sponsor or support the issuing of any such exploitation contracts for deep sea mining by the ISA until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems and strong enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines are in place. This is a matter for each ISA member State to consider carefully.