Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
The NAO recommended that the Department should urgently agree a clear, realistic and logical set...
Conclusion
The NAO recommended that the Department should urgently agree a clear, realistic and logical set of strategic objectives for ELM. We asked when we could expect these to be in place. The Department also acknowledged the importance of setting these objectives. It told us that it had developed a draft set of measurable outcomes, and it was currently discussing with Ministers how to prioritise these with a view to publishing them by Christmas 2021. The Department told us that this work was progressing and that there was more that it would publish in the coming months. However, these outcomes cover the current Parliament, rather than setting out how they will contribute to longer-term government initiatives such as net zero. It told us, however, that questions about its detailed plans for spending and investment in the next Parliament, and in 2024 and beyond, were still open and while it planned to answer these, it did not consider them as urgent.69
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
2: PAC conclusion: The Department has not established the metrics that it will need to determine whether ELM is contributing towards the government’s environmental goals. 2: PAC recommendation: The Department should develop clear metrics, and establish robust baseline measures, to allow it to assess the operational effectiveness of ELM and ensure these are published before the start of roll-out in 2022. It should report against these metrics annually to enable Parliament and the public to determine what progress it is making towards meeting the objectives set out in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: January 2023 2.2 The government agrees with the Committee that it is important to have clear metrics for the reform programme and to publish progress updates about the operational effectiveness of schemes regularly. 2.3 The government has, since the Committee’s investigation in October 2021, published more information about its key aims for the schemes. 2.4 These interventions will support the long-term environmental targets that are being developed under the Environment Act 2021 and will be consulted upon soon. 2.5 The government will report annually on the delivery of targets within its statutory Environmental Improvement Plan, as required under the Act. This will include metrics about the performance and contribution of Environmental Land schemes. 27