Background to the briefing

The purpose of this briefing is to support the Environmental Audit Committee’s scrutiny of government’s environmental protection work. It aims to provide the Committee with factual analysis as it considers the impact of significant changes to environmental protection following the EU Exit and the Environment Act 2021, and concerns that have been raised about the work of the regulators.

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Scope of the briefing

The briefing gives a factual overview of the framework for environmental compliance and enforcement in England, covering:

  • the definition of environmental compliance, its role in regulation and how it relates to other concepts;
  • government’s overarching environmental objectives and targets and how they are measured;
  • the roles and responsibilities of the main bodies responsible for environmental compliance and enforcement;
  • what is known about the main bodies responsible for compliance and enforcement, including performance, staffing and spend; and
  • recent changes for environmental compliance and enforcement.

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