Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
74th Report - Environmental regulation
Published 25 Mar 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Environmental regulation All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
When we asked the regulators what they would most value from Defra to improve the way they can regulate, both responded that they need clarity of outcomes and frameworks, standards and rules, and targets and performance metrics. Natural England told us it wants to know what work it should prioritise, but does not have the resources to address all Defra requirements concurrently.27 It wants Defra to provide a clear framework it should operate in, which would allow its staff to innovate within this framework.28 The Environment Agency told us it wants more clarity on priorities in the water sector, including the environmental outcomes Defra wants.29
From: Public Accounts Committee, 74th Report - Environmental regulation (HC 1687), 25 March 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 June 2026 (deadline 25 May 2026).