Value for Money
Regulating to achieve environmental outcomes
Published 21 April 2023
6 recommendations
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Business and industryEnergy and environmentEnvironmental sustainabilityPollution and environmental qualityRegulationWaste and recycling
nao.org.uk
This report examines how regulation is contributing towards the delivery of government’s environmental objectives.
Recommendations (6)
Source: NAO Recommendations Tracker
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 1
Accepted
Implemented
Defra should do the following: a) By December 2024, as Defra complies with its statutory reporting requirements under the Environment Act, it should incorporate detailed operational plans for how it will achieve the goals of the EIP, including the role of regulation alongside other policy interventions. Defra should set out its understanding of where regulation is currently being used to deliver environmental goals and how it operates. The plans should include the skills, capacity and capabilities Defra and arm?s-length bodies will require. They should also provide clarity to stakeholders on expected changes to regulation and the timelines for any plans.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 2
Accepted
Work in Progress
f) By December 2023, clarify what performance information it will expect from arm?s-length bodies to be able to assess their effectiveness. As new sponsorship arrangements between Defra and its arm?s-length bodies become more established, Defra should work with regulators to ensure that it has what it needs for oversight of their performance and to manage any issues.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 3
Accepted
Implemented
b) By December 2024, ensure it is meeting deadlines for its workload of Post-Implementation Reviews. This includes clearing the current backlog of Post-Implementation Reviews, as well as carrying out those that fall due in that period
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 4
Accepted
Implemented
c) By December 2024, enhance mechanisms for sharing evaluation findings and good practice across the Defra group. As Defra implements its new evaluation strategy, it should clearly set out and enhance its approach to communicating internally how evaluation findings can be applied to strengthen the design and implementation of regulation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 5
Accepted
Work in Progress
d) By December 2024, identify ways to ?future-proof? regulations, and possible opportunities to put this into practice. Acknowledging that any significant regulatory changes may require new legislation, Defra should identify existing good practice around flexible regulation that can adapt to meet changing targets and consider adopting this more widely
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rec 6
Accepted
Implemented
e) By December 2023, complete its changes to governance of the environmental targets, and set out its plan to review their effectiveness. This plan should include a timetable for the review.