Written questions by Gardiner.

Whether the independent evidence review commissioned by the previous government and undertaken by scientists from the British Geological Survey, National Oceanography Centre, and Heriot-Watt University will be taken into account in his determination of the sponsored exploration licences for Deep Sea Mining.

The 2021 independent evidence review, commissioned by the previous government, remains a valuable contribution to our understanding of the environmental impacts of deep sea mining. The government will take all relevant information into consideration when reviewing its sponsorship of exploration licences.

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.

If he will publish the records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the site reclamation of the Corby Steelworks in the 1980s.

Records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the reclamation of the Corby Steelworks site should be held by the local authority that managed the reclamation, in this case North Northamptonshire Council. The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information.