Deep Sea Mining Act 2014

Deep Sea Mining Act 2014

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision about deep sea mining; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2014 c. 15
Introduced by	Sheryll Murray MP [1] (Commons) Baroness Wilcox (Lords)
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	14 May 2014
Commencement	14 July 2014
Other legislation
Amends	Deep Sea Mining (Temporary Provisions) Act 1981
Status: Current legislation
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Deep Sea Mining Act 2014 (c. 15) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014. ^[2]

Legislative passage

It is unusual as this bill passed through parliament as a private members bill, ^[3] it was sponsored by Sheryll Murray MP and Baroness Wilcox.

Provisions

The act creates a legal framework for the deep sea mining industry. ^[4] The Act enables the deep sea mining sector to be regulated in a modern way and aims to prevent damage to the environment. ^[5]

The act amends the Deep Sea Mining (Temporary Provisions) Act 1981 so that the UK government can grant licences for deep sea mining, and so that the 1981 act is aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. ^[3]

Reception

The Shadow Foreign Office Minister Kerry McCarthy criticised the legislation for not providing enough environmental protections. ^[6]

References

1. "House of Commons Hansard for 19 June 2013". Hansard . Parliament of the United Kingdom. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
2. "UK Parliament :: Bills Online". services.parliament.uk.
3. "Deep Sea Mining Bill". Democracy Live. BBC News. 24 January 2014.
4. "Week ahead at Westminster". BBC News. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
5. "Deep Sea Mining Act 2014".
6. Gent, Edd (9 October 2023) [2014-01-24]. "Deep Sea Mining Bill clears Commons". Engineering and Technology . Retrieved 26 January 2026.