11th Report - UK Progress on Reducing Nitrate Pollution

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

The government responds to the Committee's recommendations mainly by setting out existing and planned work, and states that it "will not weaken our environmental protections in leaving the EU".

• On catchment planning and data sharing, the government "agrees that effective catchment planning must be the basis of delivering better environmental outcomes for water quality" and says it agrees with the Committee that data and evidence are central to catchment partnerships.
• On joined-up regulation, it agrees that leaving the EU offers an opportunity to align water, air and soil regulations, and says a statutory review of the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 will consider the Committee's findings.
• On oversight, the draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill provides for a new independent Office for Environmental Protection, with a duty on the Secretary of State to provide funding "reasonably sufficient" for its functions.
• On enforcement resourcing, the overall budget for regulating farming "will be considered" in developing a business case, and the government says it will respond to the Stacey review "in the New Year".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error