The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)

My Lords, I am pleased to update the House that both the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly have now granted legislative consent to the Bill. I express my thanks to devolved Ministers and their officials for the constructive and collaborative way in which they have worked with us to reach this position. I also place on record my gratitude to noble Lords from across the House for their careful scrutiny, thoughtful challenge and constructive engagement throughout the passage of this Bill. They have brought considerable expertise to bear on a range of important issues. In particular, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, who spoke convincingly on enforcement and human rights considerations on the high seas, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Jones and Lady Miller, who raised important issues on environmental protections and plastic pollution. I also thank my noble friend Lord Whitehead for his support on the Bill and his thoughtful maiden speech at Second Reading. I am also grateful to the Opposition Front Bench for its constructive approach throughout the Bill’s passage. Beyond Parliament, I pay tribute to the scientific community, from the National Oceanography Centre and the Natural History Museum to researchers across our universities, whose advocacy has been instrumental in demonstrating the urgency and ambition of this legislation and the wider agreement. This Bill is vital to protecting our ocean, advancing marine science and ensuring that the United Kingdom continues to lead global efforts on ocean conservation. The ocean regulates our climate, sustains global fisheries and produces around half of the oxygen on earth. Protecting it is not simply an environmental aspiration; it is an economic, scientific and moral imperative. By passing this Bill, your Lordships will enable the United Kingdom to take the next steps to ratify the BBNJ agreement in the coming months. This will send a clear and powerful signal that the United Kingdom stands ready to lead in protecting our shared ocean, grounded in science, partnership and international co-operation. Finally, I take this opportunity to thank the officials and lawyers in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Defra and the Department for Transport whose expertise, diligence and commitment have underpinned the development and passage of this Bill. I beg to move.