Loophole in government's Environment Bill - Hayman responds

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, responding to Greenpeace’s exposing the serious loophole in the government Environment Bill, said:

“The Conservatives in government have an abysmal track record of missing environmental targets on everything from major pollution incidents to biodiversity and air pollution.

“The gap between what the Tories say and do on the environment couldn’t be wider. The government is ducking its responsibilities by ensuring that any legally binding targets will not have bite for nearly two decades.

“Labour will be strengthening the Environment Bill to close this loophole and ensure all targets are legally binding and cannot be kicked into the long grass.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

• Greenpeace has exposed a serious loophole in the Environment Bill which would mean no legal action could be taken against ministers on any potential failings on plastic, water, plastic or nature restoration until 2037 at the earliest. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/environment-bill-loophole-leaves-nature-targets-in-18-year-lag/
• Last year a leaked document showed that an agreed target to restore 50 per cent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest to a favourable condition by 2020 has been abandoned altogether. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/leaked-document-reveals-government-set-miss-key-wildlife-pledge/