Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Rejected
Defra should work with DESNZ to publish, within six months of the government response to...
Recommendation
Defra should work with DESNZ to publish, within six months of the government response to this Report, an addendum to the North Sea Future Plan that explicitly sets out how fishing interests and marine environmental protections are assessed and incorporated into decisions affecting the sustainability of the North Sea. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejects the recommendation to publish an addendum to the North Sea Future Plan, stating it is not necessary and that fishing and environmental considerations will be incorporated into the developing Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) via Defra’s MSPri programme.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
Regarding the Committee’s recommendation on the North Sea Future Plan, Defra and DESNZ do not believe an addendum is necessary. The North Sea Future Plan sets the Government’s vision for the North Sea, to foster an internationally-leading offshore clean energy industry, which ensures good, long-term jobs, growth and investment in communities. This will be in tandem with a sustainable transition in oil and gas, boosting the country’s economy and energy security, in line with climate obligations. As this vision is implemented, the Plan acknowledges the role the MSPri Programme has in England in considering all future demands on the marine space. It also sets out how the Government is taking a more strategic approach to spatial planning through the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). The UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments have commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to develop the SSEP. The SSEP will in part provide a coordinated, long-term, spatial plan framework for energy generation and storage, including offshore energy infrastructure, integrating considerations from across marine uses to inform more strategic planning and siting decisions. Defra’s MSPri Programme is feeding into this work, including contributions from the MMO and Natural England, to help ensure that environmental and fisheries interactions are reflected within the SSEP.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗