The Minister for Digital Economy (Baroness Lloyd of Effra CBE) has today made the following statement.

The Government’s answer to Written Question HL985, published on 8 October 2024, included the following paragraph: “UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UKSR1 and UKSR2. These have an initial period...

The Minister for Digital Economy (Baroness Lloyd of Effra CBE) has today made the following statement.

The Government’s answer to Written Question HL985, published on 8 October 2024, included the following paragraph: “UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UKSR1 and UKSR2. These have an initial period...

The Government’s answer to Written Question HL985, published on 8 October 2024, included the following paragraph: “UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UKSR1 and UKSR2. These have an initial period of 15 years with the contract period of UKSR1 ending in 2026 and UKSR2 ending...

The Government’s answer to Written Question HL985, published on 8 October 2024, included the following paragraph: “UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UKSR1 and UKSR2. These have an initial period of 15 years with the contract period of UKSR1 ending in 2026 and UKSR2 ending...

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Grand Committee.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Grand Committee.

My Lords, it is a great honour to address your Lordships’ House for the first time, and particularly on a subject

that has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember; namely, the health and welfare of our planet and how we can protect and repair...

My Lords, it is a great honour to address your Lordships’ House for the first time, and particularly on a subject

that has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember; namely, the health and welfare of our planet and how we can protect and repair...

My Lords, as the first to speak after the Minister from the Government Benches, it is my honour to welcome my noble friend Lord Whitehead, of Saint Mary’s, to the Dispatch Box and to congratulate him on his brilliant maiden speech. I pay tribute to his joining the esteemed ranks...

My Lords, as the first to speak after the Minister from the Government Benches, it is my honour to welcome my noble friend Lord Whitehead, of Saint Mary’s, to the Dispatch Box and to congratulate him on his brilliant maiden speech. I pay tribute to his joining the esteemed ranks...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to open for the Official Opposition on this important Bill. Before I speak to the Bill, I welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to his place on the Front Bench and congratulate him on his excellent maiden speech. He served for many years...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to open for the Official Opposition on this important Bill. Before I speak to the Bill, I welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to his place on the Front Bench and congratulate him on his excellent maiden speech. He served for many years...

My Lords, I join others in welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to the Front Bench and congratulate him on his excellent maiden speech. I was particularly glad that he gave several marketing plugs for the National Oceanography Centre, which I was responsible for setting up when I was the...

My Lords, I join others in welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to the Front Bench and congratulate him on his excellent maiden speech. I was particularly glad that he gave several marketing plugs for the National Oceanography Centre, which I was responsible for setting up when I was the...

My Lords, I plan to speak in favour of the Bill before your Lordships’ House at Second Reading, but first I congratulate the

noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his maiden speech. My first recollection of Southampton was visiting the Royal Research Ship “Bransfield” before it departed for the Antarctic. As...

My Lords, I plan to speak in favour of the Bill before your Lordships’ House at Second Reading, but first I congratulate the

noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his maiden speech. My first recollection of Southampton was visiting the Royal Research Ship “Bransfield” before it departed for the Antarctic. As...

My Lords, the adoption of the high seas treaty in 2023 marked one of the most significant achievements in international environmental governance in decades. The treaty fills a crucial gap in ocean regulation by establishing a comprehensive framework to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction....

My Lords, the adoption of the high seas treaty in 2023 marked one of the most significant achievements in international environmental governance in decades. The treaty fills a crucial gap in ocean regulation by establishing a comprehensive framework to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction....

I am grateful for the advice, but I will carry on with a few things. We get criticised in Committee for doing Second Reading speeches when we are trying to understand the passage of the Bill at this key point.

Another aspect that has been mentioned is: where could it be?...

I am grateful for the advice, but I will carry on with a few things. We get criticised in Committee for doing Second Reading speeches when we are trying to understand the passage of the Bill at this key point.

Another aspect that has been mentioned is: where could it be?...

My Lords, I too welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, of Saint Mary’s, to his seat in your Lordships’ House and to the Dispatch Box. It was wonderful to hear such a green-minded speech; over the past few years, they have become more common here, but they are still very...

My Lords, I too welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, of Saint Mary’s, to his seat in your Lordships’ House and to the Dispatch Box. It was wonderful to hear such a green-minded speech; over the past few years, they have become more common here, but they are still very...

My Lords, I declare my environmental interests in the register and join other noble Lords in welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to our House—an environmentalist to the FCDO, which is wonderful. I also welcome this Bill which, as many noble Lords have said, will help to protect two-thirds of...

My Lords, I declare my environmental interests in the register and join other noble Lords in welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, to our House—an environmentalist to the FCDO, which is wonderful. I also welcome this Bill which, as many noble Lords have said, will help to protect two-thirds of...

My Lords, I begin by congratulating the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his opening speech, his maiden speech, opening his scoring in this House. May his subsequent contributions be as good as this one: it will be a fine record.

The Bill to which we are giving a Second...

My Lords, I begin by congratulating the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his opening speech, his maiden speech, opening his scoring in this House. May his subsequent contributions be as good as this one: it will be a fine record.

The Bill to which we are giving a Second...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Whitehead on joining this House. He and I worked together in the 1997 Labour Government, when he was an enormous support to me. I know he will make a huge contribution to the House.

I was a member of the International Relations and...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Whitehead on joining this House. He and I worked together in the 1997 Labour Government, when he was an enormous support to me. I know he will make a huge contribution to the House.

I was a member of the International Relations and...

My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his place and express my admiration that he has made his maiden speech in proposing such an important debate.

We know that the areas outside territorial limits, which we know as the high seas, belong to us all. Nobody would sensibly talk against the...

My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his place and express my admiration that he has made his maiden speech in proposing such an important debate.

We know that the areas outside territorial limits, which we know as the high seas, belong to us all. Nobody would sensibly talk against the...

My Lords, I, too, welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, as the new Minister. I particularly agree with his comment on the excellence of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. There is another important maritime organisation based in Southampton, namely the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the regulator of the maritime...

My Lords, I, too, welcome the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, as the new Minister. I particularly agree with his comment on the excellence of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. There is another important maritime organisation based in Southampton, namely the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the regulator of the maritime...

I thank the noble Lord for giving way. It is important, because I have read the treaty, which says:

“Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent a Party”—

us—

“from adopting more stringent measures with respect to its nationals and vessels … with regard to activities under its jurisdiction or control in addition to...

I thank the noble Lord for giving way. It is important, because I have read the treaty, which says:

“Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent a Party”—

us—

“from adopting more stringent measures with respect to its nationals and vessels … with regard to activities under its jurisdiction or control in addition to...

I will come on to discuss that very point. I think the noble Lord is referring to Article 25 of the treaty, on which it would be worth testing the Government more.

Before getting to that, I start by saying, like other noble Lords, that we must recognise that the BBNJ...

I will come on to discuss that very point. I think the noble Lord is referring to Article 25 of the treaty, on which it would be worth testing the Government more.

Before getting to that, I start by saying, like other noble Lords, that we must recognise that the BBNJ...

My Lords, I speak as a Member replacing the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, on the Environment and Climate Change Committee and as a resident of the North Shields Fish Quay on the mouth of the Tyne—you will find it if you go to Newcastle and turn right—which is currently celebrating...

My Lords, I speak as a Member replacing the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, on the Environment and Climate Change Committee and as a resident of the North Shields Fish Quay on the mouth of the Tyne—you will find it if you go to Newcastle and turn right—which is currently celebrating...

My Lords, I thank your Lordships for allowing me to speak in the gap and congratulate the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his excellent maiden speech. As he said, the Bill is about ambition.

This important piece of legislation will protect two-thirds of the world’s oceans with the jurisdiction...

My Lords, I thank your Lordships for allowing me to speak in the gap and congratulate the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his excellent maiden speech. As he said, the Bill is about ambition.

This important piece of legislation will protect two-thirds of the world’s oceans with the jurisdiction...