Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Committee of the Whole House

The Bill passed its second reading on 16 October 2025 and came before a Committee of the Whole House for further debate and votes on 17 November 2025. The House considers the Bill in the same way as a Public Bill Committee, but does not take evidence.

The Bill will ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, signed by the UK in 2023, creating a legal mechanism to set up protected zones in areas beyond national jurisdiction, helping to protect marine life and habitats in parts of the ocean that have previously been vulnerable to overuse and exploitation.

There were two amendments selected for debate and votes:

Amendment 4, which would permit a single report to be provided to the Secretary of State for the
purposes of fulfilling reporting requirements under clauses 5 and 6 (regarding repositories and databases): Ayes 143, Noes 318.

Amendment 5, which would require that any regulations enabling the Minister to set fees are subject to
affirmative resolution procedure: Ayes 147, Noes 318.

The Bill was read a third time and passed. It will now go to the House of Lords for further debate.