Recommendation 9

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