Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Oct 2020 Closed: 19 Apr 2021 Parliament page
In January 2018, government published its 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out its ambition to improve the natural environment in England within a generation: both for the direct benefits this would bring, as well as to support its influence overseas and position the UK as a global environmental leader. The … Read more
7 Recommendations
15 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
3 Sep
2021
Report published
13 Jul
2021
Correspondence
3 Feb
2021
Report published
13 Jan
2021
Correspondence
13 Jan
2021
Correspondence
3 Dec
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
3 Dec 2020
View on parliament.uk
Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals
David Hill · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Marian Spain · Natural England Philip Duffy · Environment Agency Sir James Bevan · Environment Agency Tamara Finkelstein · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fortieth Report - Achieving government’s long-term environmental… HC 927 3 Feb 2021 22 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
Clear
6 Recommendation Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
We are concerned that the new Office for Environmental Protection will inherit a backlog of...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
Government has not yet met European Union concentration limits for nitrogen dioxide that had an...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
While the Plan sets out a whole-of-government commitment to improve the environment within a generation,...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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13 Recommendation Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
There is no single point of responsibility within government for monitoring overall spend on environmental...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
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14 Recommendation Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
Government needs to ensure that organisations have access to the skills and resources they require...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
We asked the Treasury what it was doing to ensure departments factor the environment into...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
Treasury told us that the extent to which departments appraise the environmental impact of what...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
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19 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
Treasury conceded that there is a long way to go before accounting for the environment...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
As the Office for Environmental Protection is yet to be established under the provisions of...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
The interim secretariat will be able to make assessments around reported breaches of environmental law...
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: … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Accepted
Fortieth Report - Achieving govern…
In discussing the reporting obligations of the Office, the Department explained that it will report...
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 22 of 7 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 7
Total 7 recs + 15 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
13 Jul 2021 Correspondence from Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive’s Office, Environment Agency, re Environment Agency’s response to the question from James Wild MP, dated 5 July 2021
Parliament page
13 Jan 2021 Correspondence from Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary, DEFRA, re Covid funding for zoos, the England Peatland Strategy, and government monitoring of cycling, walking and driving, dated 3 December 2020
Parliament page
13 Jan 2021 Correspondence from Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive, Environment Agency, re Water abstraction, dated 16 December 2020
Parliament page