Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted in Part
Develop and publish a comprehensive stakeholder engagement framework for marine decision-making by January 2025.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) develops a comprehensive framework for engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, particularly coastal communities and underrepresented voices, early-on in marine decision-making and outline the responsible organisation for leading the engagement across areas of marine policy. This framework should identify a range of stakeholder engagement activities appropriate to the scale and impact of different decisions (e.g. roundtables, workshops, participatory mapping or advisory councils). The framework should also ensure that adequate resources and expertise are allocated to facilitate effective and inclusive stakeholder engagement, which will also help raise public awareness and understanding. Additionally, the Government should be transparent about decision-making processes and acknowledge the implications of these decisions for stakeholders. DEFRA should publish this framework by January
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating that stakeholder engagement is highly valued and already central to policy delivery. They commit to reviewing how they can further improve engagement but do not commit to developing and publishing a comprehensive new framework with specified elements by the recommended deadline.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Stakeholder engagement is highly valued by the Department, its Arms-Length Bodies (ALBs) and Ministers. It is a central part of policy delivery and implementation. In tandem, Defra fully recognises the importance of being clear about how and when stakeholders can input and is testing new and novel approaches to further improve. For example: Defra currently undertakes significant engagement with stakeholders in the development and delivery of policy related to the management of the marine environment and uses of English coastal waters, including through marine planning processes and on compensatory Marine Protected Areas. Defra has adopted the principles of co-design in a range of other initiatives. The information gathered from robust and well-planned stakeholder engagement is valued and important. Defra and its ALBs already works within a wide framework of coordinated engagement and commits significant resources and time. We will review how we can further improve the ways we engage the full range of stakeholders at all levels in both the development of individual policies, and for the delivery of our overall work on the management of the marine environment. The Government therefore partially agrees with the recommendation at paragraph 23 and disagrees with the recommendation at paragraph 24.