The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee today released its report following its inquiry into the future of the natural environment after the EU referendum.
The Environmental Audit Committee report suggests that protections for wildlife and habitats could be weaker after the UK leaves the EU if the Government doesn’t take action before, or in the early stages of the Article 50 process. The Report calls on the Government to allow full parliamentary scrutiny of its plans for the future of environmental legislation after Brexit.
The National Trust [Alliance member] responded to the report saying: ‘We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to redraw how we support farming and conservation in this country. We want a post-Brexit policy developed in partnership with farmers and conservationists, which incentivises farming that provides wider benefits for us all – wildlife, landscape, reducing flooding and improving soils – alongside healthy, top class food.’
In a speech in the same week Environment Secretary, Andrea Leadsom, outlined how ‘red tape will be scrapped’ to help farmers. Changes include relaxing rules on identifying features in farmers’ fields for subsidy payments – such as what makes a hedge a hedge or when a puddle becomes a pond and reducing the number of Government inspections on farms.