Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Scrutiny of the draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill inquiry

Closed Opened 20 Dec 2018 Closed 20 Dec 2018

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and the Environmental Audit Committee launch a joint call for written evidence for pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill. The Chairs look forward to receiving evidence for the draft clauses of the bill, the policy paper, statement of impacts, the memorandum from Defra to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and the information paper on the policy statement on Environmental Principles. The Committees invite all interested parties to address the following questions and any other aspect of the draft legislation in writing by the end of January, in no more than 3,000 words.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 20 December 2018.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 14th Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill on 30 April 2019.

The government's response

Published 17 October 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it has "agreed with many of the Committee's recommendations" and has amended the Bill, while declining others such as a separate Supply Estimate and a role for the OEP in enforcing international law.

On the principles duty, it has strengthened the duty on Ministers from 'have regard' to 'have due regard'. It did not accept "act in accordance with" or extending the duty to all public authorities, saying the latter would "go significantly above equivalence".
On OEP independence, Ministers will appoint non-executive members. The government will invite the Committee to hold a pre-appointment hearing for the OEP Chair and the Secretary of State "will duly consider" its recommendations.
On funding, it agrees to a multi-annual framework, with a five year indicative budget it intends to review "during the first two years of operation". It does not agree that a separate Supply Estimate is needed.
On climate change, it agrees the OEP should have climate change within its enforcement remit, having removed the former exclusion, and has required the OEP to inform the Committee on Climate Change before issuing an enforcement notice.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

14th Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill30 April 2019

All reports

Evidence

5 oral evidence sessionsLatest 6 March 2019

All evidence

Recent activity

1st Special Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourteenth Report of Session 2017–1917 October 2019, Report published
14th Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill30 April 2019, Report published
Oral evidence session6 March 2019, Oral evidence

Reports

1 report

14th Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill

HC No.: HC 1893
Published: 30 Apr 2019
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 17 October 2019. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
6 Mar 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
27 Feb 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
13 Feb 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
6 Feb 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
30 Jan 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗