Sustainable agriculture and land use are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement. The 2019 IPCC land-use report sets out the critical role that sustainable land use must play in climate mitigation and building resilience. The 2019 IPBES report warns of a pending collapse of nature, with land use change identified as the main driver. We need a food systems and land use revolution on the same scale of the transition to clean energy. A revolution with people, planet and prosperity at its heart.

The COP26 Nature Campaign aims to raise the profile of this agenda, building on the Just Rural Transition (JRT) launched at the UN Climate Action Summit and providing a platform to highlight actions that leading countries are taking to deliver change. The Government is delivering on the building and securing political ambition through several pillars of the campaign through:

• Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue – a global dialogue between producer and consumer countries of internationally traded forest and agricultural commodities to establish collectively how we will work together to support sustainable supply chains, protecting forests and reducing biodiversity loss while promoting trade, market access, economic development and food security;
• Sustainable Agriculture and JRT – accelerating effort for a transition to sustainable agriculture through policy action, innovation and investment, for healthy diets, economies and people;
• Mobilise increased Finance for Nature– mobilising investment in the private sector, public sectors and with multilateral development banks to deliver increased and more sustainable climate finance to scale up investment in nature, including Nature based Solutions.

Defra continues to position the UK’s commitment to sustainable agriculture through Government Trade Dialogues and Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Defra also runs a number of Agricultural Dialogues with partner countries which provide opportunities to share UK values on environmental and sustainability issues by exchanging policy and best practice on sustainable agriculture and supply chains in light of the UK’s Due Diligence legislation. Collaboration through dialogues such as these are key to promoting the UK’s environmental objectives while assisting overseas trading partners in achieving the transition to a low carbon economy.

Defra’s International Climate Finance (ICF) contributions enable the UK to meet international commitments on the environment by supporting developing countries promote sustainable livelihoods and low carbon agriculture. For example, since 2012, the UK has invested £62 million to promote sustainable agriculture in Brazil through the Low Carbon Agriculture (LCA) Programme. Phase I of the LCA brought 46,472 hectares of land under sustainable land management and resulted in over 8.9 Mt of avoided greenhouse gas emissions.

Defra is also playing a key role in catalysing the private sector to support environmentally sustainable land-use. Through its ICF, Defra has invested in the Land Degradation Neutrality fund and Eco.Business Fund, impact investment funds which seek to encourage private sector investment in more sustainable production and consumption practices to protect nature and reduce climate change.

The UK has committed to increase finance for nature through its ICF to at least £3bn from 2021 to 2026. The Government is also currently considering the findings of Professor Dasgupta’s landmark review of the economics of biodiversity and will respond in Spring 2021.

The Government is committed to ensuring our Protected Landscapes flourish as havens for nature and are places that everyone can visit and enjoy.

The Glover Landscapes Review set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We welcome this ambition and recognise the importance of actively engaging with civil society organisations and the Landscape organisations to inform and develop our response

We have therefore established the ‘National Landscapes Stakeholder Reference Group’ and have been working closely with them to help shape our response to the Review, with a focus on those recommendations requiring collective action and new ways of working nationally.

The Government will come forward with firm proposals for implementing the Glover Landscapes Review in due course.

The draft Environment Bill, published in December last year, would place the 25 Year Environment Plan on a statutory footing by establishing a new statutory cycle of environmental planning, monitoring and reporting. The Government also committed to exploring the inclusion of additional targets for environmental improvement within this cycle.

In the Environment Bill policy paper, also published in December last year, we reaffirmed that improving air quality is a key part of our plan to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

In our Clean Air Strategy, published in January this year, we set out our ambition to reduce people’s exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and committed to setting a new, ambitious, long-term target to reduce people’s exposure to PM_2.5. We also committed to publishing a report this year examining what action would need to be taken to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PM_2.5 annual mean guideline level of 10μg/m³, and we will use this evidence to inform the target which we set.

The actions in the Strategy will reduce concentrations of PM_2.5 for everyone, resulting in a halving of the number of people living in areas with annual mean concentrations of PM_2.5 above the WHO’s guideline level of 10μg/m³ by 2025, compared with 2016.

We are the first major economy to set out ambitions based on the WHO’s PM_2.5 targets, and our Clean Air Strategy was welcomed by the WHO’s Director General as “an example for the rest of the world to follow.”

The relationship between Defra and Natural England is clearly set out in Natural England’s Framework Document. Priorities and performance measures are agreed across the Defra Group and with the Secretary of State. Performance is monitored and challenged within Natural England through monthly reports to the non-Executive Board, and to Defra through reporting against the Single Departmental Plan on a quarterly basis. The Secretary of State also reviews performance at biannual meetings with Natural England’s Chair and Chief Executive. Financial management is reviewed monthly between Natural England and Defra Finance teams.

Natural England, like all other Defra sponsored bodies, receives an appropriate budget to carry out its duties and responsibilities in line with what is affordable and the priorities set out by the Secretary of State.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will preserve environmental principles where they are included in directly applicable EU regulations (which are converted into UK law by the Bill); or in EU-derived domestic legislation (which is preserved by the Bill); or in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (which is relevant to the interpretation of retained EU law). For example, the precautionary principle, referred to in Article 191(2), is included in the REACH Regulation (1907/2006) and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation (1143/2014) and so will be preserved by the Bill in those areas. . The ‘polluter pays’ principle, also referenced in Article 191(2), is referred to in the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 which will also be preserved by the Bill. Similarly, CJEU case law on chemicals, waste and habitats, for example, includes judgments on the application of the precautionary principle to those areas. This will likewise be preserved by the Bill.

Although environmental principles are already central to government policy, they are not set out in one place other than the EU treaties. The Secretary of State therefore announced on 12 November our intention to create a new comprehensive policy statement setting out the environmental principles to underpin future policy making. We will consult on this early next year alongside proposals for a new, independent statutory body to uphold environmental standards.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will preserve environmental principles where they are included in directly applicable EU regulations (which are converted into UK law by the Bill); or in EU-derived domestic legislation (which is preserved by the Bill); or in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (which is relevant to the interpretation of retained EU law). For example, the precautionary principle, referred to in Article 191(2), is included in the REACH Regulation (1907/2006) and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation (1143/2014) and so will be preserved by the Bill in those areas. . The ‘polluter pays’ principle, also referenced in Article 191(2), is referred to in the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 which will also be preserved by the Bill. Similarly, CJEU case law on chemicals, waste and habitats, for example, includes judgments on the application of the precautionary principle to those areas. This will likewise be preserved by the Bill.

Although environmental principles are already central to government policy, they are not set out in one place other than the EU treaties. The Secretary of State therefore announced on 12 November our intention to create a new comprehensive policy statement setting out the environmental principles to underpin future policy making. We will consult on this early next year alongside proposals for a new, independent statutory body to uphold environmental standards.

England’s Rural Development Programme allocates around £3bn to improving the environment between 2014 and 2020. Agri-environment schemes are voluntary agreements that provide payments to farmers and land managers to manage their land in an environmentally sensitive way.

Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We will design new policies which benefit British agriculture, countryside and the environment specifically and provide better value for money to the taxpayer. The Government is committed to working with others to devise a new agri-environment system which will support farmers and other land managers to deliver environmental benefits.

The government remains committed to being the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. We will deliver this vision through an ambitious 25 year environment plan.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will make sure the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law. The Bill will preserve EU law where it stands at the moment before we leave the EU.

We are committed not only to maintaining but to enhancing environmental standards as we leave the E.U.

National parks cover nearly 10% of England’s land area and contain almost 30% of England’s internationally important wildlife sites. Plans to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage in national parks will be an important component of the 25 year plan for the environment. The plan will ensure that we use the insights of natural capital thinking to develop an approach which will help guide us.

The government is committed to making sure that national parks are subject to the highest protection in national planning policy, including on cross boundary issues. Local planning authorities, in preparing their plans, have a legal duty under the Localism Act 2011 to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis to maximise the effectiveness of local plan preparation in the context of strategic cross boundary matters. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that great weight should be given, by local authorities when setting out their plans, to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in national parks and the Broads. In addition, national park authorities are statutory consultees on any planning application where development is likely to affect land in a national park.

Natural England is the government’s advisory body for the natural environment in England, for which Defra is the sponsor department. Natural England’s responsibilities include helping to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to enjoy and for the services they provide. Natural England is responsible for designating landscapes and protected areas in England. Defra works closely with Natural England to agree shared objectives on a strategic basis.

National park authorities and Natural England have clear roles with respect to the planning system. National park authorities are required to consult Natural England on development plans and must take into account any advice Natural England provides on them. Natural England is a statutory consultee on development requiring an environmental impact assessment and nationally significant infrastructure projects, and provides advice to national park authorities, local planning authorities and the Secretary of State where it considers there will be significant adverse impacts on national park purposes. In addition, Natural England has a duty to provide advice where any local authority consults it about proposals for the development of land in a national park.

Natural England’s advice is provided in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework, which affords national parks the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. Where a local planning authority is minded to grant planning permission contrary to Natural England’s advice, Natural England may request the Secretary of State to call in the application for its determination. Natural England liaises regularly with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Communities and Local Government on planning and development issues relating to national parks.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear on the protections in place for national parks. We would only expect to see major development in exceptional circumstances. Our environment is enormously valuable, and we have long-standing protections for our most precious landscapes through our network of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

On 23 March 2016, we launched an 8-Point Plan for England’s National Parks. It sets out our priorities for improving National Parks in England over the period from 2016 until 2020.

We are committed to the goal of being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it and we will publish a 25 year environment plan to deliver this ambition.

The plan has not yet been written but it is a manifesto commitment to publish in the course of this Parliament and we will engage with interested stakeholders, including national parks, to help inform its development.

Our environment is enormously valuable and we have long-standing protections for our most precious landscapes through our network of national parks.

We are committed to the goal of being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it and we will publish a 25 year environment to deliver this ambition.

The plan has not yet been written but it is a manifesto commitment to publish in the course of this parliament and we will engage with interested stakeholders, including national parks, to help inform its development.

We have an 8-Point Plan for England’s National Parks, launched on 23 March 2016. It sets out our priorities for improving National Parks in England over the period from 2016 until 2020.

The Government will soon be publishing and consulting on a green paper on the environment and our ambition is to become the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we found it.

The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. Any future changes in the law will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

The Prime Minister has announced our plans for a Great Repeal Bill that will convert current EU law, including environmental law, into domestic legislation. This will give consumers, workers and businesses as much certainty as possible by maintaining the existing laws.

The UK will continue to be bound by and implement the obligations under the international multilateral environmental agreements to which we are a Party.

The Secretary of State is giving careful consideration to the inspector’s report on the inquiry into proposed extensions to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and will issue her decisions in due course.

For clarity, the costs referred to here are for the preparation and consideration of proposals for boundary variations to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

The costs to Defra to date, including for the public inquiry, are £122,360. This includes Planning Inspectorate costs, the cost of an inquiry manager, notice of the inquiry, and the costs of venues for the inquiry. In addition, there are costs of staff time which have not been quantified.

The estimated costs to Natural England are £490,000 since 2009. This includes the costs of extensive technical assessments of the areas concerned and the production of detailed reports, public and statutory consultations, printing costs, and the costs to Natural England of the public inquiry. It does not include staff costs.

No estimate has been made of any funding and resources expended by the third sector.

Following the public inquiry into proposals to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, the inspector has submitted his report to Defra. The Secretary of State is considering the report and will issue her decisions in due course.

Government and licensees take very seriously the need to decommission legacy facilities, including those at Sellafield. This work is underpinned by periodic safety reviews, which are assessed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). In addition to this, nuclear operators have a legal obligation under the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) to identify, evaluate and assess their hazards and risks, which enables the ONR to determine the off-site emergency planning area in line with its assessment principles:

http://www.onr.org.uk/depz-onr-principles.htm.