Feryal Clark MP criticises Government over lacklustre Environment Bill

Yesterday we saw the return of the Government’s Environment Bill to the Commons for consideration of Lord’s Amendments.

This much-delayed Bill is extensive and lengthy, covering a wide range of new duties and legal requirements, including environmental targets, environmental principles and a new environmental watchdog; changes and new legal requirements covering air pollution, water resources, water management and quality, waste and recycling, biodiversity, nature recovery and conservation covenants.

Several constituents have been in touch me with regarding the Bill, voicing their concerns on a range of issues including protecting our woodland, stopping the use of pesticides, and cleaning up our air, all of which I fully support.

Additionally, I believe the Office for Environmental Protection needs the authority to deliver its remit without interference and that it needs greater powers of enforcement and was pleased to see that the House of Lords passed amendments on these issues.

I believe we need faster action to create the well-paid green jobs that our communities need and bolder action on improving standards and protecting habitats and species, so we can strengthen our economy and rebuild our country.

That is why I have supported calls for a Green New Deal and bringing forward an ambitious stimulus package of capital investment to help support the creation of up to 400,000 new low-carbon jobs and decarbonise our economy at the same time.

It is also why I believe that we need to hardwire our net zero targets into future fiscal events like the forthcoming spending review and why I have supported calls for a global footprint amendment to the Environment Bill.

Labour has proposed several amendments to the Bill to protect and enhance the powers and independence of the Office for Environmental Protections, write World Health Organisation air pollution limits into the Bill, highlight the need for comprehensive action on waste and recycling, strengthen chemical regulation and protect bees from the reintroduction of banned pesticides.

All these amendments were defeated by the Government.

Whilst the Government has made concessions and improvements to the Bill they are still showing an intensely frustrating lack of ambition, continuing to resist addressing important weaknesses highlighted in the Lords’ amendments which received cross-party support.

Where the Government has continued to fall behind, constituents can be assured that I will continue to do all I can in pushing for legislation that protects and preserves our environment for generations to come.