Written question asked by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Friday, 13 April 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 17 April 2012. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Thursday, 19 April 2012 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Public Bodies

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers the Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit will have to hold relevant public bodies to account.

Answer: The Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit will have no formal powers to hold relevant public bodies to account. The Unit will not give direction or intervene in the advisory or decision making roles of statutory advisers or competent authorities.The Unit will though work with relevant public bodies to support collaboration with developers of major infrastructure projects, oversee a new process for agreeing evidence and provide greater clarity to developers on key requirements from the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives. The aim is that this will maintain protection of environmentally significant sites and species and reduce the likelihood of delays arising to infrastructure projects from meeting obligations under the directives.

Secondary information