Recommendations & Conclusions
11 items
6
Recommendation
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
We are concerned that the new Office for Environmental Protection will inherit a backlog of cases, and remain to be convinced that it will be sufficiently independent. It will take some months for the Office for Environmental Protection and its responsibilities for enforcing environmental law to be established fully under …
Read more
We are concerned that the new Office for Environmental Protection will inherit a backlog of cases, and remain to be convinced that it will be sufficiently independent. It will take some months for the Office for Environmental Protection and its responsibilities for enforcing environmental law to be established fully under the provisions of the Environment Bill. The Department says that, in the interim, a secretariat and chair designate will make initial assessments on reported breaches of environmental law by public authorities. The Office for Environmental Protection will have to play catch up in looking at these reports once established. Unlike the Climate Change Committee, the Office for Environmental Protection will report to Ministers and not to Parliament directly. We are concerned that this will affect its ability to act independently. Recommendation: The Department should write to the Committee to set out what steps it is taking to minimise the delay between the passing of the Environment Bill and the establishment of the Office for Environmental Protection. As is the case with the Climate Change Committee, the Office for Environmental Protection should have a mandate to report directly to Parliament. 8 Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals 1 Progress, power and funding
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government accepted both parts of the recommendation, confirming the Permanent Secretary had written to the committee about the interim OEP setup and that the OEP will have a mandate to report directly to Parliament.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
Government has not yet met European Union concentration limits for nitrogen dioxide that had an original compliance deadline of 2010, and the UK was one of six member states referred to the European Court in May 2018 over non-compliance.15 In addition, the most recent update on Biodiversity 2020 targets showed …
Read more
Government has not yet met European Union concentration limits for nitrogen dioxide that had an original compliance deadline of 2010, and the UK was one of six member states referred to the European Court in May 2018 over non-compliance.15 In addition, the most recent update on Biodiversity 2020 targets showed that government was on track to meet only a quarter of them.16 Responsibility but not enough power
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations on missed targets and commits to laying new long-term environmental targets by October 2022, with interim targets in a revised Environment Plan by January 2023. It also aims to finalise all 66 outcome indicators by 2024.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
While the Plan sets out a whole-of-government commitment to improve the environment within a generation, the existing arrangements for joint working between departments on environmental issues are patchy, with no clear indications of senior ownership of the Plan outside the Department and its own arms-length bodies.19 The Department was the …
Read more
While the Plan sets out a whole-of-government commitment to improve the environment within a generation, the existing arrangements for joint working between departments on environmental issues are patchy, with no clear indications of senior ownership of the Plan outside the Department and its own arms-length bodies.19 The Department was the only government department which specifically mentioned the Plan in its 2019 single departmental plan objectives.20 The Department has two oversight groups for its environmental work: a 25 Year Environment Plan Implementation Board, and a more senior and pre-existing Environment Committee, however these groups are ‘Defra-centric’, with no representation from delivery bodies outside the Department’s own group.21 The Department told us that its implementation board is a forum for its own work , and that, at a working level, it has a range of relationships to make progress with the responsibilities of other departments; but it accepted the need to do more to understand interdependencies and bring together departments with responsibilities under the Plan.22 It has since established a new cross-government board of lead directors- general from key delivery departments.23 The Department expects that the new cross- government board will build on existing relationships with other departments to follow up their responsibilities; hold other departments to account for their contributions; and map out the systems and interdependencies underpinning the Plan.24
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and confirms it has already established a new Cross-Government 25 Year Environment Plan Board. It commits to providing an initial assessment of the board's effectiveness by June 2021 and a fuller assessment by July 2022.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
13
Recommendation
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
There is no single point of responsibility within government for monitoring overall spend on environmental goals, and neither the Department nor the Treasury yet have a good understanding of the long-term costs involved in delivering the goals. Moreover, while the Department had started an analysis of spend by environmental goal …
Read more
There is no single point of responsibility within government for monitoring overall spend on environmental goals, and neither the Department nor the Treasury yet have a good understanding of the long-term costs involved in delivering the goals. Moreover, while the Department had started an analysis of spend by environmental goal as part of its preparations for the Spending Review 2020, it did not yet have a good breakdown of annual costs. Without a good understanding of the costs of delivering the Plan as a whole, there are risks that decisions about funding allocations are made in a piecemeal way, rather than on the basis of a strategic view of long-term priorities.34 29 Qq 95–96 30 Q 97 31 Qq 48–49 32 Qq 49–50 33 Q 83 34 C&AG’s Report, paras 12, 19, 1.21 12 Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals 2 Skills, impact and regulation Skills gaps
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation, committing to establish a robust framework through the Environment Bill for developing the economic case for environmental targets, and will publish determined costs by October 2022.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
14
Recommendation
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
Government needs to ensure that organisations have access to the skills and resources they require to play their part in delivering environmental goals.35 The Department told us that both scientific and project management skills are required to make progress, particularly in the Environment Agency and Natural England as key delivery …
Read more
Government needs to ensure that organisations have access to the skills and resources they require to play their part in delivering environmental goals.35 The Department told us that both scientific and project management skills are required to make progress, particularly in the Environment Agency and Natural England as key delivery bodies.36 The Treasury acknowledged the skills gap in scientific capability in the Department’s group, as a result of the reduction in financing between 2010 and 2015. But it noted that the Spending Review is a move towards rectifying the situation, and that “institutional and structural” backing from the Treasury will be forthcoming as it better integrates the environment into the way it makes spending decisions.37 The Environment Agency told us it has a particular risk of skills loss in nuclear and hazardous waste management. This is largely due to its inability to pay the market rate offered in the private sector, though it seeks to mitigate this by topping up salaries where possible and developing in-house talent.38 Natural England noted that, although it does not yet have any “real, hard gaps” in skills, it has also experienced problems in attracting and retaining staff due to salary gaps between itself and environmental non-governmental organisations.39
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees to the recommendation, stating it is working to understand and develop required skills and will develop a wider skills and capability plan to ensure organisations have the necessary expertise and resources for environmental goals.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
We asked the Treasury what it was doing to ensure departments factor the environment into their spending bids. Treasury told us that for the 2020 Spending Review it asked departments for an assessment of the contribution of their proposals towards delivering the UK’s statutory climate objectives in terms of emissions; …
Read more
We asked the Treasury what it was doing to ensure departments factor the environment into their spending bids. Treasury told us that for the 2020 Spending Review it asked departments for an assessment of the contribution of their proposals towards delivering the UK’s statutory climate objectives in terms of emissions; and asked them in looser language to talk about the impact and coherence of their bids with the environment plan.45 Ahead of the spending review, Treasury updated guidance on assessing and valuing effects on the natural environment in the Green Book.46 It told us it also has an academic review on discounting underway, a key issue being whether the public value discount rate is an appropriate discounting rate for natural capital, given the associated health benefits.47
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees, outlining that HM Treasury requires departments to assess environmental impacts during spending reviews via the Green Book, continuously updates guidance, and is reviewing learning from the 2020 Spending Review to consider publishing additional information.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
Treasury told us that the extent to which departments appraise the environmental impact of what they are doing is variable, a good example being the Department for Transport which has worked closely with Defra and the Treasury on its programme to improve air quality in local authorities, and another being …
Read more
Treasury told us that the extent to which departments appraise the environmental impact of what they are doing is variable, a good example being the Department for Transport which has worked closely with Defra and the Treasury on its programme to improve air quality in local authorities, and another being the Ministry of Defence which has requested support from Treasury to improve its assessments and appraisals in the way it does its spending submissions.48 However, Treasury acknowledged that departments had generally struggled to articulate their contribution to climate change, let alone the environment, in part due to a lack of science capability (following reductions in funding between 2010 and 2015).49
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and outlines existing processes such as the Green Book for assessing environmental impacts, noting continuous improvements and an ongoing review of the environmental discount rate, while considering publishing additional information after the next spending review.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
19
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
Treasury conceded that there is a long way to go before accounting for the environment is fully embedded within the spending review process and is on a level pegging with carbon emissions where there is a statutory budget-setting process. It said it needed to do more to ensure the guidance …
Read more
Treasury conceded that there is a long way to go before accounting for the environment is fully embedded within the spending review process and is on a level pegging with carbon emissions where there is a statutory budget-setting process. It said it needed to do more to ensure the guidance and the structures used reflect the natural environment, and would have to do a great deal of work at next year’s spending review “to try to cobble together the Environment Bill and the spending cycle”.50 Regulation of environmental law
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees to integrate environmental considerations further into spending reviews by continuously improving the Green Book, conducting a review of the environmental discount rate, and considering additional publication of information on environmental impacts after the next spending review.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
As the Office for Environmental Protection is yet to be established under the provisions of the Environment Bill, we asked the Department about interim arrangements for holding public bodies to account on environmental law. The Department told us that a secretariat is in place, and the Chair-Designate of the Office …
Read more
As the Office for Environmental Protection is yet to be established under the provisions of the Environment Bill, we asked the Department about interim arrangements for holding public bodies to account on environmental law. The Department told us that a secretariat is in place, and the Chair-Designate of the Office appeared at a joint Environmental Audit Committee and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee pre-appointment session on 15 December 2020.51 The Department noted that it will also progress appointments of other members of the Board of the new Office.52
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will set up the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in interim form from July 2021, led by the Chair-designate and other directors, to begin functions like receiving complaints and developing strategy before the Environment Bill's Royal Assent.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
The interim secretariat will be able to make assessments around reported breaches of environmental law by public bodies. It will then be up to the Office to catch up on these 45 Q 20 46 HM Treasury, The Green Book: Central Government Guidance on Appraisal and Evaluation, 2020 47 Q …
Read more
The interim secretariat will be able to make assessments around reported breaches of environmental law by public bodies. It will then be up to the Office to catch up on these 45 Q 20 46 HM Treasury, The Green Book: Central Government Guidance on Appraisal and Evaluation, 2020 47 Q 59 48 Qq 22, 29 49 Qq 20, 61 50 Qq 20–21 51 Qq 84–85 52 Q 90 14 Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals assessments once it is established.53 However the Department told us that it has laid much of the foundation, including draft frameworks, to ensure that everything will be in place to allow the Office to get going as soon as it is operational.54
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees, stating it is setting up the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in interim form from July 2021, outlining its functions and ensuring it can use its full powers upon Royal Assent.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’…
Accepted
In discussing the reporting obligations of the Office, the Department explained that it will report to Ministers, who can then be held to account by Parliament. We noted that this is in contrast to the Climate Change Committee, which must report directly to Parliament.55 The Department told us that Ministers …
Read more
In discussing the reporting obligations of the Office, the Department explained that it will report to Ministers, who can then be held to account by Parliament. We noted that this is in contrast to the Climate Change Committee, which must report directly to Parliament.55 The Department told us that Ministers will not have power over the work programme and decision making of the Office, and will have a duty to have regard to its independence. The Office itself will also have a duty to operate objectively and impartially.56 53 Qq 89 54 Q 90 55 Qq 85–87 56 Q 87 Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals 15
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government confirms the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will be operationally independent, reporting to Parliament on its functions and findings, despite being accountable to Ministers, and is establishing the OEP in interim form from July 2021.
Read full response →
HM Treasury