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Select committee inquiry

Local Nature Partnerships inquiry

Closed

Environmental Audit Committee · Opened 27 November 2014 · Closed 14 July 2015

2 conclusions
Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

What the inquiry looked at

“The Committee undertook an inquiry into Local Nature Partnerships. This followed its inquiry on ‘An Environmental Scorecard’ which identified issues concerning the funding and support for LNP and their relationship with Local Enterprise Partnerships.”

The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.

What the government said

The government responded on 22 September 2015.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response.

The government welcomes the report and "the broad thrust" of its recommendations, and accepts the recommendation to review Local Nature Partnerships.

  • It accepts the recommendation to undertake a review, saying that after three years of operation it is "an appropriate point at which to take stock".
  • On funding and links to local stakeholders, it says options for strengthening Defra's non-financial support "will be considered as part of the review".
  • On relaunching weaker partnerships with new seed funding, it makes no commitment to funding; it says LNPs' contribution and needs will be evaluated in the context of the 25 year environment plan, which it is developing.
  • It has committed to extending the Natural Capital Committee "until at least the end of this Parliament", will develop new Terms of Reference over the summer, and will respond to its recommendations "in due course".

Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error

How the inquiry ran

Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 27 November 2014 to 22 September 2015.

  1. Oral evidence 4 Mar 2015
  2. Report 19 Mar 2015
  3. Government response 22 Sep 2015
  4. Correspondence 2 letters

What it recommended 0 recommendations · 2 conclusions

The committee's own words. Open an item to read it in full.

14There is a mixed performance record between individual LNPs.
Concluded (the committee's words)
There is a mixed performance record between individual LNPs. Some are functioning effectively, working well with LEPs, whilst others appear to have become inactive or sidelined. Since initial seed money was provided by Defra to establish them, LNP budgets have been under pressure unless they have been able to attract funding and resources from NGOs, local authorities, the private sector or volunteers. Where LNPs have been successful, they have demonstrated the benefits of local engagement and harnessing enthusiasm in finding solutions to local priorities. Where they have not 45 Berkshire LNP (LNP0026) p3 46 West of England Nature Partnership (LNP0009) para 17 47 Q9 48 Qq46-48 49 European Commission website: “Fitness Check of EU Nature Legislation (Birds and Habitats Directives)” 50 ibid Local Nature Partnerships 9 been successful, the solution is not to impose additional tasks but to re-energise the unfocussed local commitment.
15The next Government should undertake an early review of the LNP programme, to identify an...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The next Government should undertake an early review of the LNP programme, to identify an agenda for action linked to other nature conservation initiatives with approaching deadlines. Specifically, such a review should: examine LNPs’ funding and their links to LEPs (including the appropriateness of the criteria and metrics for disbursement of European Structural Investment Funds) a) HWBs and local planning authorities, as well as potential new links with additional stakeholders such as landowners and farmers; identify best practice from the successful LNPs, but also the barriers that have hindered the less successful ones, including the role played by conflicting objectives of b) the local bodies involved; and identify those LNPs where the Government will need to relaunch the initiative, providing newly targeted seed funding to establish an effective national coverage. c) And the review should be linked to and coordinated with (i) the European Commission’s fitness check of the birds and habitats directives, to ensure both that the protections remain robust and that England’s experiences with LNPs inform the deliberations, and (ii) the next Government’s deliberations on the long-term future of the Natural Capital Committee beyond its current September 2015 remit. 10 Local Nature Partnerships

Evidence

Oral evidence sessions 1

Correspondence 2 letters