The Environmental Audit Committee is today launching a short
inquiry into the Government’s 25-Year Plan for the Environment.
The Government published its long-awaited 25-Year Plan for the
Environment on 11 January 2018. The Committee’s inquiry will
examine key decisions around the Plan’s overall ambition and
approach.
The Plan sets out a number of 25-year goals and a combination of
new and existing strategies, targets, mechanisms and commitments
in order to meet those goals. The Government proposes to update
the Plan every 5 years and to report annually on progress to
Parliament. The Government will develop a set of indicators to
monitor progress.
The Committee is likely to hold one oral evidence hearing,
followed by a hearing with the Government. The Committee will
also scrutinise the Plan’s proposals in specific areas as part of
its regular work programme.
, Chair of the Environmental
Audit Committee, said:
“My Committee has been clear that environmental protections must
not be weakened as a result of leaving the European Union. EU
laws which protect our natural spaces and native species risk
becoming zombie legislation, and my Committee has previously
called for a new Environmental Protection Act that enshrines
targets on waste, water quality and air pollution in law.
“We will look at how the Government intends to make the plan a
reality, and whether the targets and timeframes are ambitious
enough.
“It is crucial that current targets aren’t dropped or missed,
that legal protections are not weakened, and Government
departments aren’t let off the hook.”
Terms of Reference
The Committee welcomes submissions by 5 pm on 28th February 2018
on some or all of the following points:
Ambition and Reporting
- To what
extent does the Plan set a sufficiently ambitious agenda across
Government? How far do the objectives, targets and indicators set
out in the plan reflect a higher level of ambition than existing
targets (including European Union targets and the Sustainable
Development Goals) and current performance? Are there any major
gaps?
- What would
success or failure look like for the Plan? To what extent will
the Government’s proposals for reporting on the Plan allow for
proper scrutiny of its performance against its objectives? Are
the commitments to legislative action in the Plan sufficient to
ensure it will endure beyond the current Parliament?
Implementation
- The Plan
sets out a natural capital-led approach and a principle of
“environmental net gain” when undertaking development. What are
the risks and benefits of adopting these approaches? What steps
need to be taken during development and implementation to ensure
they lead to positive environmental outcomes, especially in
respect of biodiversity?
- To what
extent does the Plan set out effective delivery mechanisms to
ensure DEFRA, other Government departments and public bodies have
the resources and responsibilities to implement it? Where should
the Government seek agreement with the Devolved Institutions to
ensure a common approach across the UK?
Principles and Oversight
- The
Government has proposed an independent statutory body to
“champion and uphold environmental standards as we leave the
European Union”. What role, legal basis and powers will it need
to ensure the Government fulfils its environmental obligations
and responsibilities? How do these compare to the role of the
European Institutions in the existing arrangements? What standard
would it have to meet to be “world leading”?
- The Plan sets
out a series of objectives and the Government says it will
consult on a policy statement on environmental principles to
underpin policy-making after leaving the European Union. What
principles should the Government include as part of that
consultation? What legislation might be needed?
Deadline for submissions
Written evidence should be submitted through the inquiry page by
5pm on 28th February 2018. The word limit is 3,000 words. Later
submissions will be accepted, but may be too late to inform the
first oral evidence hearing. Please send written
submissions using the form on the
inquiry page.
Diversity
The Committee values diversity and seek to ensure this where
possible. We encourage members of underrepresented groups to
submit written evidence. We aim to have diverse panels of Select
Committee witnesses and ask organisations to bear this in mind if
asked to appear.
