To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79283, if he will make an assessment of (a) the effectiveness of hydrographic surveys to improve the safety of navigation in Antarctic waters and (b) the potential merits of increasing the capacity...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79283, if he will make an assessment of (a) the effectiveness of hydrographic surveys to improve the safety of navigation in Antarctic waters and (b) the potential merits of increasing the capacity...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress work on a draft bill on Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law on British sovereign interests in the Antarctic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress work on a draft bill on Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law on British sovereign interests in the Antarctic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what discussions she has had with Antarctic Parties on the protection of UK sovereign interests in the British Antarctic Territories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what discussions she has had with Antarctic Parties on the protection of UK sovereign interests in the British Antarctic Territories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what assessment her Department has made of biosecurity risks in the British Antarctic Territories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what assessment her Department has made of biosecurity risks in the British Antarctic Territories.

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...