Written question asked by Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench) on Thursday, 8 September 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 September 2022. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Monday, 10 October 2022 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Office for Environmental Protection

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the Common Framework document that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will agree with the Office for Environmental Protection.

Answer: We are committed to working collaboratively with the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to finalise the Defra-OEP framework agreement. We are currently in the final stages of negotiations. The purpose of the Framework Document is to set out the broad governance framework within which the OEP and Defra operate. It will reflect the parties' core responsibilities and will describe the governance and accountability framework that applies between the parties, including how the day-to-day relationship works in practice. This will include detail on governance and financial matters, whilst also respecting the provisions in the Environment Act for OEP independence.

Secondary information