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House of Commons

Thursday 19 March 2020

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Environment Bill

Note

This document includes all amendments tabled to date and includes any

withdrawn amendments at the end. The amendments have been arranged in

accordance with the Order of the Committee [10 March 2020].

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

88

Clause  7,  page  5,  line  7,  leave out subsection (4) and insert—

“(4)    

The environmental improvement plan must include, as a minimum—

(a)    

measures which, taken together, are likely to achieve any targets set

under sections 1 or 2 and will ensure that the next interim targets included

in the plan are met;

(b)    

measures that each relevant central government department must carry

out;

(c)    

measures to protect sensitive and vulnerable population groups

(including children, older people, people with chronic illnesses and

outdoor and transport workers) from the health impacts of pollution;

(d)    

a timetable for adoption, implementation and review of the chosen

measures, and the authorities responsible for their delivery;

(e)    

an analysis of the options considered and their estimated impact on

delivering progress against the relevant targets; and

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

(f)    

measures to minimise, or where possible eliminate, the harmful impacts

of pollution on human health and the environment.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment looks to strengthen Environmental Improvement Plans by connecting them to;

measures which are proportionate to targets set out in the bill, departmental action, vulnerable

people, a timetable and analysis.

Neil Parish

Alex Sobel

112

Clause  7,  page  5,  line  7,  leave out subsection (4) and insert—

“(4)    

An environmental improvement plan must set out the steps Her Majesty’s

Government intends to take in the period to which the plan relates, which the

Secretary of State considers will—

(a)    

enable targets set under section 1(1) and that meet the conditions at

section 6(8) to be met, and

(b)    

make a significant contribution to meeting the environmental objectives

irrespective of whether targets are in place to cover all matters relating to

the environmental objectives.”

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

87

Clause  7,  page  5,  line  13,  at end insert—

“(5A)    

It may also set out the steps Her Majesty’s Government intends to take to improve

the conservation of land environments of archaeological, architectural, artistic,

cultural or historic interest, including improving people’s enjoyment of them (and

if it does so references in this Part to improving the natural environment, in

relation to that plan, include conservation of land environments of archaeological,

architectural, artistic, cultural or historic interest, including improving people’s

enjoyment of them).”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment invites the government to consider the historic environment in environmental

improvement plans.

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

89

Clause  8,  page  5,  line  32,  at end insert “and,

(c)    

consider biodiversity reports published by authorities under section 40A

of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (as

amended by section 94 of this Act).”

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

90

Clause  8,  page  5,  line  32,  at end insert “and,

(c)    

include an analysis of whether the policies and measures set out in the

environmental improvement plan will ensure that any targets set under

sections 1 and 2 and any interim targets set under sections 10 and 13 are

likely to be met.”

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

91

Clause  16,  page  10,  line  6,  leave out “proportionately”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes ministerial estimates of proportionality as a limitation on the policy

statement on environmental principles.

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

92

Clause  18,  page  11,  line  13,  leave out subsection (2)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the proportionality limitation on the requirement to consider the policy

statement on environmental principles.

Deidre Brock

114

Clause  18,  page  11,  line  19,  leave out paragraph (a)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the exceptions for armed forces, defence and national security policy

from the requirement to have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

93

Clause  18,  page  11,  line  19,  leave out “the armed forces, defence or”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the exceptions for armed forces and defence policy from the requirement

to have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Deidre Brock

Alex Sobel

94

Clause  18,  page  11,  line  20,  leave out paragraph (b)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the exceptions for tax, spending and resources from the requirement to

have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles.

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

95

Clause  20,  page  12,  line  32,  at end insert—

“(7)    

The Secretary of State must—

(a)    

keep under consideration whether there are any steps which they could

take which would or might secure better or further effect full compliance

with the Aarhus Convention, and

(b)    

if they consider it appropriate to do so, take any of the steps identified by

that consideration.

(8)    

A report under this section must set out what steps have been taken during the

reporting period to secure better or further effect full compliance with the Aarhus

Convention and what steps the Secretary of State intends to take during the next

reporting period to that effect.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment requires the Secretary of State to consider what steps may be taken to improve

compliance with the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in

Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters and, if they consider it

appropriate to do so, to take those steps.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

179

Schedule  1,  page  121,  line  16,  at end insert “with the consent of the Environmental

Audit and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committees of the House of Commons”

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment would require the appointment of the Chair and other non-executive members of

the Office for Environmental Protection to be made with the consent of the relevant select

committees.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Thangam Debbonaire

Abena Oppong-Asare

Jessica Morden

Alex Sobel

15

Schedule  1,  page  122,  line  5,  leave out “may” and insert “must”

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Thangam Debbonaire

Abena Oppong-Asare

154

Schedule  1,  page  122,  line  11,  leave out sub-paragraph (3)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment prevents the Government from giving directions to the interim chief executive of

the OEP.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Thangam Debbonaire

Abena Oppong-Asare

155

Schedule  1,  page  122,  line  15,  at end insert “;but an appointment may be made in

reliance on this sub-paragraph only with the approval of the Chair.”.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment requires the Chair’s approval for civil servants or other external persons as

interim chief executive of the OEP.

Deidre Brock

188

Schedule  1,  page  124,  line  26,  at end insert—

“10A      

Where the function is being exercised in relation to Scotland or in Scotland the

OEP must—

(a)    

delegate the function to an environmental governance body designated

by the Scottish Ministers, and

(b)    

provide the resources for that function to be exercised.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment aims to introduce the geographical imperative to ensure clear lines of reporting

and response in Scotland and to clarify that the body acting in Scotland will be acting with consent

of Scottish Ministers, thus respecting the devolution settlement.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Thangam Debbonaire

Abena Oppong-Asare

157

Schedule  1,  page  124,  line  40,  at end insert—

“12A (1)  

At the start of each five-year period, the Secretary of State must publish and

lay before Parliament an indicative five-year budget for the OEP.

      (2)  

In sub-paragraph (1) “five-year period” means—

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2020                  

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Environment Bill, continued

(a)    

the period of five financial years beginning with the financial year that

begins after the commencement of this Schedule, and

(b)    

each subsequent period of five financial years.

12B      

If the OEP requests additional funding, due to a change in the nature or extent

of its functions, the Secretary of State must publish and lay before Parliament

a statement responding to the request.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment requires the OEP to be given a five-year indicative budget, and allows it to

request in-budget increases.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Thangam Debbonaire

Abena Oppong-Asare

156

Schedule  1,  page  126,  line  2,  leave out “have regard to the need to”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment makes the independence of the OEP an absolute requirement.

Dr Alan Whitehead

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Daniel Zeichner

Jessica Morden

Abena Oppong-Asare

Thangam Debbonaire

Alex Sobel

97

Clause  22,  page  13,  line  8,  at end insert—

“(c)    

respect, protect and fulfil the rights contained in the UNECE Convention

on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and

Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment requires the OEP to oversee implementation of the UNECE Convention on Access

to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental

Matters.

Deidre Brock

189

Clause  22,  page  13,  line  16,  leave out subsection (5)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the restriction on the OEP overlapping with the Committee on Climate

Change.