Written Statements

Thursday 10th May 2018 Written Statements

Thursday 10 May 2018

Leaving the EU: Environmental Principles and Governance

Thursday 10th May 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Michael Gove)]

It is this Government’s ambition to ensure we leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it. It is our aim not just to protect and conserve but also to enhance and restore habitats and landscapes. The recently published flagship 25-year environment plan sets out the scale of our future ambition. The environmental principles and governance consultation document that we have published today outlines proposals to help deliver on this, including a new, ambitious Environmental Principles and Governance Bill.

For many who care deeply about the environment, and have fought for its protection over several decades, our membership of the European Union (EU) has coincided with increased awareness of environmental concerns and improved mechanisms to safeguard the natural world. We want to ensure that the new mechanisms we put in place as we leave the EU do not just maintain, but also strengthen protection for the environment.

Our new Environmental Principles and Governance Bill is designed to create a new, world-leading, independent environmental watchdog to hold Government to account on our environmental ambitions and obligations once we have left the EU. When the UK leaves the EU, we will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the EU institutions which currently provide oversight and enforcement of many of our environmental laws. The new body will ensure that environmental standards are upheld after we leave the EU, holding Government to account for their delivery.

In order to ensure we have robust environmental governance systems in place, we propose that the new body should have three main functions: providing independent scrutiny and advice; responding to complaints; and enforcing Government’s delivery of environmental law where necessary. However, we are consulting on what functions and powers the new body should have specifically, and would welcome a wide range of stakeholders’ views on this subject.

The new Environmental Principles and Governance Bill will also establish a new, comprehensive, statutory environmental principles policy statement. The current system of EU environmental legislation is underpinned by a number of “environmental principles”, such as sustainable development, the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle. Although these principles are already central to Government environmental policy, they are not set out in one place beside the EU treaties.

The consultation is exploring the scope and content of a new statement on environmental principles in order to underline our commitment that environmental protection will be enhanced, not diluted, as we leave the EU. We are consulting as to whether the environmental principles themselves should be listed in the Environmental Principles and Governance Bill, in addition to the policy statement. It will be a statutory requirement for Government to have regard to the policy statement as they interpret the environmental principles. We also propose to give the new environmental body the function and powers to scrutinise application of the policy statement, periodically advising Government on possible improvements and taking action to ensure application, if necessary.

This consultation is concerned with environmental governance in England and reserved matters throughout the UK, for which the UK Government have responsibility. However, we are exploring with the devolved Administrations whether they wish to take a similar approach. We would welcome the opportunity to co-design proposals with them to ensure they work across the whole UK, taking account of the different government and legal systems in the individual home nations.

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Immigration

Thursday 10th May 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sajid Javid)]

The Government have committed to support those of the Windrush generation who have faced difficulties in establishing their status under the immigration system. Among the series of measures to help put things right, I have already announced that a compensation scheme will be put in place for those who have suffered financial loss as a result of these difficulties, and that we will consult on the design of this scheme. I want to do this as quickly as possible. But also need to get the detail right reflecting the complexity of ways in which people might have been impacted.

As a first step to establishing the compensation scheme the Home Office is today launching a call for evidence that is addressed to those who have been affected by this situation, and to their families. This will be the first step of the consultation process, and will be published on gov.uk. A copy of the document will also be placed in the House Library.

It is always important for government to listen, and it is especially important to do so now. To put things right we need to understand more about what happened, to understand the personal stories, which will help to inform the design of the compensation scheme. As well as receiving written contributions I have asked officials to reach out to the people and communities most closely affected, listen to their concerns directly and, in particular, understand properly how we might address them through a compensation scheme.

I believe it is also important to have some external assurance that the compensation scheme meets the needs of those affected. So I will appoint an independent person to oversee the running of the scheme when it is in place. Martin Forde QC has agreed to provide independent advice on the design of the scheme. He is himself the son of Windrush parents and brings a wealth of experience in complex public law and compensation matters. I am confident that he will ensure that the interests of those affected will be properly represented and reflected in the scheme.

The call for evidence will run until 8 June. Once we have listened and considered those contributions, I will then launch a public consultation as soon as possible to provide the technical detail on proposals for the compensation scheme. I want to put in place a compensation scheme as quickly and as carefully as possible, to help redress what has gone wrong.

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Local Government

Thursday 10th May 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (James Brokenshire)]

On 27 March, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced to the House that he was minded to appoint commissioners to take over functions associated with governance and scrutiny, appointment of statutory officers and strategic financial management at Northamptonshire County Council (“the authority”).

These proposals followed the publication of the report of the independent best value inspection, led by Max Caller CBE, at the authority which contained serious findings. In particular, the inspector identified that the council has failed to properly comply with its best value duty for some time. This is not because of lack of funds: as the report states, the council’s “Mind the Gap” analysis

“does not demonstrate that [the Authority] has been particularly badly treated by the funding formula”.

The report sets out in some detail the governance failings which have culminated in the council’s chief finance officer issuing a section 114 notice to stop new spending and KPMG’s advisory notice on the council’s budget. It concludes

“living within budget constraints is not part of the culture of [the Authority]”.

Alongside this announcement on 27 March, the authority and principal local authorities in its area were invited to make representations about his proposals on or before 12 April. Both the authority and the principal authorities made representations, as did Voluntary Voices Northamptonshire—an organisation representing voluntary bodies in the Northamptonshire area. All welcomed the proposal to appoint commissioners and the authority asked that such an appointment should be made as quickly as possible. Following consideration of these representations and further consideration of the inspector’s report, I have now decided to go ahead with the proposals made by my predecessor.

I have decided to appoint two commissioners forming a team with a proven record in providing leadership and financial stability in local government:

Tony McArdle (lead commissioner)—until February 2018, chief executive of Lincolnshire County Council, a post he held for 12 years. He has previously held a number of senior posts in local government and is currently chair of the Association of County Chief Executives.

Brian Roberts (finance commissioner)—former director of corporate resources and deputy chief executive at Leicestershire County Council until end March 2018. This followed on from a varied career in local government. A past president of CIPFA, he has also been a past president of the Society of County Treasurers of the Association of Local Government Treasurers. Currently a national council member and a trustee of the Centre for Public Scrutiny.

The commissioners have been appointed for the period from 10 May 2018 to 31 March 2021 or such earlier or later time as I determine. I have not ruled out the possibility of further commissioners should the need arise.

I have published the directions and explanatory memorandum associated with this announcement on:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northamptonshire-county-council-directions-and-explanatory-memorandum

The 27 March announcement was accompanied by an invitation to all the principal Northamptonshire local authorities, including the county council, to make proposals for a restructuring of local government across Northamptonshire. The authorities are working together well on this and have asked that I extend the deadline for responses from July to August. I am happy to do this, to enable further opportunity for local community engagement and consultation, and the development of locally generated proposals. I have also asked the Local Government Association to consider how best to support the authorities as they develop their proposals. They are working on this and an announcement will be made shortly.

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Trade Remedies

Thursday 10th May 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade (Dr Liam Fox)]

In November 2017, the Government introduced the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill and the Trade Bill into Parliament. Together, this legislation will establish the framework for a robust trade remedies framework for the UK once we leave the EU, and establish an independent trade remedies authority (TRA) to operate that framework.

On 29 March 2018, the Department secured a technical ministerial direction to authorise spending on the implementation of the TRA prior to Royal Assent for the Trade Bill, in line with the guidance issued by the Permanent Secretaries of HM Treasury and the Department for Exiting the European Union as well as the written ministerial statement from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in October 2017.

The Government have continued to progress work to ensure that the UK has an effective trade remedies function for when we leave the EU. Following a review of suitable locations, the Government have determined that the TRA will be based in Reading. The high concentration of required skills and excellent infrastructure links to the rest of the UK will provide an ideal basis for the TRA to carry out its essential work to protect domestic industry from unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports.

Following engagement with devolved Administrations and key stakeholders, today the Government will begin the process to recruit and appoint a chair designate to prepare for this important role, ready to take on the leadership of the TRA board once the Trade Bill has completed its passage through Parliament and achieved Royal Assent.

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