HC Deb 19 March 1979 vol 964 cc428-9W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if the Government will take steps to prohibit deep sea mining by British companies, until such time as an international regime for the exploitation of the sea bed outside national jurisdiction has been agreed by the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea.

Mr. Les Huckfield

No.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what estimate has been made of the quantity of (a) manganese, (b) nickel, (c) copper and (d) cobalt, which is available for recovery by deep sea bed mining techniques.

Mr. Les Huckfield

Any attempt to estimate the quantities of metals available for recovery by deep sea bed mining techniques must be based at present on inadequate and incomplete survey data, and on assumptions about the efficiency of mining and processing techniques not yet developed on a commercial scale. However, the quantities of minerals which may be available for recovery by the sea bed mining techniques currently being developed could be very approximately as follows:

Manganese 800m tonnes
Nickel 40m tonnes
Copper 30m tonnes
Cobalt 5m tonnes

Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to British firms, such as British Petroleum, being engaged in deep sea bed mining enterprises; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Les Huckfield

The Government regard it as important that British companies should have every opportunity to participate in the profitable exploitation of the mineral resources of the sea bed, which offer a useful additional source of supply of cobalt, copper, manganese and nickel, United Kingdom requirements of which are at present totally imported.

We are seeking at the 3rd United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea to negotiate an acceptable convention which will include the establishment of an international system for the exploitation of deep sea bed minerals, providing assured access for States, public corporations and private companies as well as the proposed International Enterprise.