Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Rejected
Update the outdated Marine Policy Statement at the earliest opportunity
Recommendation
The current Marine Policy Statement is outdated, not fit for purpose and no longer reflects Government policy or pressures on the marine environment. It therefore must be updated at the earliest opportunity. (Conclusion, Paragraph 33)
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to update the Marine Policy Statement, citing its resource-intensive nature and stating that efforts are focused on other strategic marine spatial planning and delivering a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2027.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Defra recognises the role that the Marine Policy Statement (MPS) plays in setting a high-level context for marine planning and the development of marine plans. The key documents which guide spatial planning decisions are marine plans, which reflect both national and local policies, and the national policy statements, such as those for energy. Defra is aware of concerns regarding the age of the MPS, which was published in 2011 under a previous Government and includes, for example, support for oil and gas development. However, the current Government’s overarching commitment to no new oil and gas licences means that this aspect of the MPS no longer carries any practical effect. Updating the UK MPS would also be very resource intensive for all governments involved and would take much longer than six months. Instead our resource and effort is deployed to ensuring we take a more strategic approach to marine spatial planning, developing colocation solutions and working with MMO on the replacement of the East Marine Plan. Plus, as part of the UK’s membership to the Leader-led High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), the UK has committed to deliver a Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) by 2027. As part of this plan, Government will outline how it will manage its ocean area, advancing long-term economic and social development, while simultaneously promoting the health of marine ecosystems. In terms of the key pressures on the marine environment, these are already identified in the UK Marine Strategy (UKMS), which is reviewed and is updated every six years. The Government therefore disagrees with this recommendation to update the UKMPS and that it is possible to do so in 6 months.