Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Not Addressed
Prepare comprehensive regulatory assessment for the Nature Restoration Fund before PIB Part 3 enactment.
Recommendation
Given the weak impact assessment of the NRF, we ask the Government to prepare a regulatory assessment of the NRF, if and when it is adopted. This assessment should be completed before Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) is brought into force and should set out details of how it is to be implemented, such as timelines and actions to be taken by relevant stakeholders. We encourage the OEP to monitor and regularly report on the implementation of the PIB once in statute, including on 89 how successful it is at safeguarding protected habitats and species, the application of the overall improvement test, compliance with the EPPS Duty and the non-regression statement on the face of the Bill. (Recommendation, Paragraph 91)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response discusses updating guidance on carbon accounting and states it is not currently considering the RICS methodology for whole-life carbon assessments. It does not address the committee's specific request for a regulatory assessment of the NRF or OEP monitoring of the PIB.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
43. As set out in our responses to recommendations 11 and 12, there are numerous legislative safeguards that ensure that implementation of the NRF will be robustly monitored. These monitoring and reporting requirements also provide the opportunity for both Government and external scrutiny of the ongoing impact and delivery of EDPs. We know from our engagement during the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Act that independent and expert bodies such as the Office for Environmental Protection may wish to undertake scrutiny of this kind and we look forward to working closely with such bodies as we deliver the NRF. 44. In December 2025 we published an implementation plan, which can be found on gov.uk here, setting out further details on how the NRF will be implemented including the timelines and high level actions to be taken by relevant stakeholders. As we approach implementation, we will issue further detailed guidance on how the NRF will be delivered.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗