Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
2nd Report - Governing the marine environment
Environmental Audit Committee
HC 551
Published 5 June 2025
Recommendations
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Update the outdated Marine Policy Statement at the earliest opportunity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The current Marine Policy Statement is outdated, not fit for purpose and no longer reflects Government policy or pressures on the marine environment.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.
7
Rejected
Urge Ministers to issue revised Marine Policy Statement by January 2026 reflecting pressures
Recommendation
We urge Ministers to issue a revised Marine Policy Statement no later than January 2026. The updated statement should reflect the current and evolving pressures on the marine environment, clearly outline the Government’s priorities for marine usage, and set out …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to issue a revised Marine Policy Statement by January 2026, citing that it would be too resource-intensive, parts are superseded by existing commitments (no new oil and gas licenses), and they are developing a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2027 instead.
17
Rejected
Whole-site marine protection via HPMAs proven effective and critical for habitat recovery.
Recommendation
Marine habitats are interconnected, and the health of one area impacts the entire ecosystem. Scientific research has provided evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of a whole-site approach to marine protection, which is enabled in Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA). Therefore, …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to designate more Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) or set a specific target, stating its priority is effective management of existing MPAs and that compensatory MPAs funded by the MRF have a different objective.
18
Rejected
Expand Highly Protected Marine Areas network to 10% of UK waters by 2030, publishing designation plan.
Recommendation
We urge the Government to expand the network of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) to 10% of UK waters by 2030 to meet 30by30 targets, based on the evidence of their effectiveness in enabling marine nature recovery. The Marine Recovery …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to expand HPMAs to 10% of UK waters by 2030 and publish a plan by January 2026, disagreeing with setting specific HPMA targets. They state that 40% of English waters are already MPAs, meeting the 30by30 target, and they are reviewing the overall MPA network, which will consider the role of further HPMAs.