Barry Gardiner

In March, the Government consulted on its commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields.

The Marine Policy Statement was published in 2011 under a previous government. It includes support for oil and gas exploration.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this aspect of the Statement is unlikely to carry any practical effect in future.

Updating the Statement would be resource intensive for all governments involved. Instead, the Government is taking a more strategic approach to marine spatial planning, developing colocation solutions and working with the Marine Management Organisation on the replacement of the East Marine Plan.

The Government has committed to not issue new licences to explore new fields while managing existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan.

On 1 October, the Secretary of State announced legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England.

Our ‘Building the North Sea’s energy future’ consultation, which closed earlier this year, sought views on how we should implement these commitments. We will respond in due course.

All UK greenhouse gas emissions are compiled and reported consistent with international guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories provide a methodology for the reporting of emissions from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) that the UK will follow when the technology is operating at sufficient scale. In line with all IPCC reports, the 2006 Guidelines were written by world-leading experts, underwent multiple rounds of review from other experts and Governments and were formally accepted by Governments including the UK.

The EA already operates a robust, risk-based system to respond to pollution incidents. The increase in inspections, including unannounced inspections, will allow the EA to conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents, reducing the reliance on operator self-monitoring.

Government has committed to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ so water companies will no longer mark their own homework on pollution incidents. Initial cost information on ending ‘operator self-monitoring' has been provided by the Environment Agency, and we will do further work to develop a detailed and comprehensive assessment as we move to Open Monitoring.

The EA already operates a robust, risk-based system to respond to pollution incidents. The increase in inspections, including unannounced inspections, will allow the EA to conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents, reducing the reliance on operator self-monitoring.

Government has committed to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ so water companies will no longer mark their own homework on pollution incidents. Initial cost information on ending ‘operator self-monitoring' has been provided by the Environment Agency, and we will do further work to develop a detailed and comprehensive assessment as we move to Open Monitoring.

The table below shows the number of solicitors employed by the Environment Agency in the Area facing legal services teams in 2020 and 2026, and the number of vacant lawyer posts that were being held during these years.

The Environment Agency does not hold data for 2008, and it has insufficient data for 2014.

The table below shows the number of solicitors employed by the Environment Agency in the Area facing legal services teams in 2020 and 2026, and the number of vacant lawyer posts that were being held during these years.

The Environment Agency does not hold data for 2008, and it has insufficient data for 2014.

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) concluded its investigation in December 2025 and is taking no further action due to the significant progress that has been made by Defra, Ofwat and the Environment Agency (EA). This progress includes:

• Defra replacing outdated guidance with a new policy and guidance document that better reflects the legal duties of sewerage undertakers
• Ofwat revisiting its enforcement guidance and taking enforcement action against several water companies
• The EA updating its Storm Overflow Assessment Framework, whilst progressing with plans to modernise permits and introduce spill limits
• Progress on cross-cutting issues, such as the clarification of roles and responsibilities between the authorities.

The OEP stated that, throughout the investigation, all public authorities engaged constructively, with a focus on the outcome of protecting the environment.

Regulatory Capital Value was originally set with reference to the equity value and debt levels of each water and sewerage company at privatisation. It has been updated by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) since and provides a proxy for the total value of the water industry’s equity and debt (otherwise known as ‘enterprise value’).

In December 2025, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) published the concluding reports of its investigation into the regulation of network Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) in England. I was pleased to see recognition that work undertaken by this Government has built the foundations for much needed change in the water sector.

The OEP stated that, throughout the investigation, all public authorities engaged constructively, with a focus on the outcome of protecting the environment. We agree with the OEP that it is important for Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat to be fully transparent when it comes to their roles and responsibilities in the regulation of network CSOs.

The reality is it would take years to unpick the current ownership model, it would be extremely complex, and we would be in the courts for years.

Billions of pounds of private investment going in to fixing broken pipes would be slashed in the meantime.

Nationalisation would a black hole in the public finances, this money would be better spent on our hospitals and schools.

Nationalisation is not the answer – tougher regulation is – which is why we’re giving the regulators more teeth through things like these swift automatic penalties.

In the Water White Paper, we are clear that where a water company might want to transition to a new ownership model, such as a not-for-profit, the new regulator will assess whether this should go ahead and ensure customer interests are properly reflected in the decision.

We want to move away from Operator Self‑Monitoring because the current system does not provide the transparency or independent assurance the public expects. As set out in the Water White Paper, we are working with regulators on how best to transition to an open, independently verified monitoring model. We will set out further detail once this work is complete.

This Government welcomes the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)'s investigation, and we responded to their Information Notice on 6 March. We continue to work collaboratively with them to improve our waterways.

The Government accepts the OEP’s conclusion that not enough progress has been made in meeting the Water Framework Directive’s objectives for water quality, and that this is due to a lack of investment and action over the last 15 years since the first River Basin Management Plans were published.

Our Water White Paper sets out long-term reforms to strengthen regulation and planning, reduce pollution, and accelerate the delivery of vital infrastructure.

The PFAS Plan published on 3 February 2026 sets out the Government’s approach towards PFAS in consumer articles. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were involved in the development of the PFAS Plan.

Any future UK REACH Restriction would currently involve the UK REACH Agency, the HSE, consulting on a proposal. The current UK REACH work programme does not extend to this happening in 2025/26.

The forest risk commodities regime in the Environment Act 2021 extends only to commodities that are illegally produced.

The Government recognises the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government is actively considering the best regulatory approach to address deforestation in UK supply chains; we will set out this approach in due course.

Defra has initiated the internal process for appointing a new Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection, which includes consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, and relevant Select Committees. The competition will be launched shortly.

The UK will be updating the information required on catch certificates this year. These changes will focus on ensuring the robustness of the data on traceability measures and will ensure that UK exporters can continue to re-export seafood originating from other countries to the EU. The UK’s Fish Export Service (FES) enables exporters to generate electronic IUU catch documentation, including catch certificates. The UK also plans to integrate FES with the EU’s CATCH system in 2026 to support system interoperability.

The 47th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Convention and 20th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol will take place from 27-31 October 2025. The UK will send a delegation.

Marine-based GGR techniques present potential environmental risks that need to be managed alongside potential climate benefits. Our priorities are developing the evidence base and establishing a science-based framework for regulation of these techniques.

We are working with a range of partners to consider the impact of the Protected Landscapes Duty. The duty is intended to facilitate better outcomes for England’s Protected Landscapes, which are in line with their statutory purposes.

In December, Government published guidance on the Protected Landscapes duty to ensure public bodies operating in these areas, including water companies, deliver better environmental outcomes working together with Protected Landscape organisations.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) provides training and guidance to port health authorities (PHAs) on implementing the UK’s IUU Regulation, which PHAs apply through their local risk-based approaches. Where concerns arise, the MMO engages with third-country authorities to resolve the issue or reject the consignment. Defra attends monthly PHA forums chaired by the MMO, where issues related to IUU imports and risk assessment are discussed. At these meetings, Defra provides policy advice to support the operational guidance shared by the MMO and PHAs.

Defra and the Marine Management Organisation work closely with Devolved Governments, Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities to ensure illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing documentary checks are completed at the border and appropriate verifications are conducted on seafood imports to the UK. Verifications, defined under Article 17 of the UK’s IUU Regulation, are formal checks beyond standard documentary reviews. Competent Authorities conduct risk-based checks, and if concerns arise, the MMO may hold consignments and carry out verifications.

The UK has retained the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulation following its departure from the EU and continues to apply its provisions. While the UK has not formally adopted the EU’s carding system, it does enforce import bans on seafood from countries that have been red-carded by the EU, such as Cambodia, Comoros, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Imports and landings from vessels listed on the UK’s IUU vessel list are also prohibited. Imports from yellow-carded countries are permitted to avoid unnecessary trade disruption because marking these countries as IUU offenders may undermine their efforts to improve compliance and address IUU fishing. The UK keeps issues related to IUU fishing and human rights abuses in seafood supply chains under active review, and we welcome robust evidence from stakeholders to inform future policy development.

The UK has retained the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulation following its departure from the EU and continues to apply its provisions. While the UK has not formally adopted the EU’s carding system, it does enforce import bans on seafood from countries that have been red-carded by the EU, such as Cambodia, Comoros, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Imports and landings from vessels listed on the UK’s IUU vessel list are also prohibited. Imports from yellow-carded countries are permitted to avoid unnecessary trade disruption because marking these countries as IUU offenders may undermine their efforts to improve compliance and address IUU fishing. The UK keeps issues related to IUU fishing and human rights abuses in seafood supply chains under active review, and we welcome robust evidence from stakeholders to inform future policy development.

The UK will be updating the information required on catch certificates this year. These changes will focus on ensuring the robustness of the data on traceability measures and will ensure that UK exporters can continue to re-export seafood originating from other countries to the EU. The UK’s Fish Export Service (FES) enables exporters to generate electronic IUU catch documentation, including catch certificates. The UK also plans to integrate FES with the EU’s CATCH system in 2026 to support system interoperability.

The responsibility for developing byelaws lies with the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs). We are encouraging the IFCAs to complete as soon as possible the good work they have already done to ensure our MPAs are effectively protected.

Inshore MPAs located between 6 and 12 nautical miles from the coast are the responsibility of the Marine Management Organisation and it launched a consultation in June 2025 on stage 3 of its programme of MPA fisheries management measures.

We aim to implement any necessary byelaws quickly. However, this will depend on the number and complexity of responses received to the consultation.

The Marine Management Organisation uses a feature-based approach for developing fisheries management measures in England’s Marine Protected Areas, including the proposed stage 3 byelaws. Sometimes these management measures will involve restrictions across the whole of a site, where the features to be protected cover the whole site.

We cannot pre-judge the outcome of the stage 3 byelaw consultation, which is currently in progress.

Since the publication of the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, we have continued our work to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. That has included renewing Clean Catch for a further 3-year period. This flagship programme will be focused on collaborative trials with the fishing industry to establish practical ways to minimise bycatch, delivery of research on potential bycatch hotspots and of best practice guides tailored to fishermen’s needs, and critical knowledge exchange both within and beyond the UK.

In addition to that, in 2025, we are considering further measures to reduce bycatch of seabirds. We have not published an implementation plan but will consider the need for this when working with stakeholders to identify and implement these measures. This builds on wider work done under the English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway. For more information see: English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway (ESCaRP) - ME6044.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Work is in hand on the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

In 2020, Defra commissioned an independent review of the Darwin Plus programme. This found Darwin Plus projects to have a strong, positive impact on the capacity of the Territories to deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment, which enhances protection of biodiversity ecosystems. During his Kew Lecture on 17 September 2024, the Foreign Secretary declared reversing the decline in global biodiversity as a Government priority. It is estimated that the UK Overseas Territories are home to over 90% of known endemic British species.

Information on individual projects funded under Darwin Plus is available on the programme website (https://darwinplus.org.uk/). The programme’s performance is reviewed annually and published on the UK Government’s online Development Tracker.

Total funding allocated to Darwin Plus projects in each financial year since 2019-20 is provided in the table below.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, as the Government’s statutory nature advisor, does not have, nor is it aware of, an estimate of the total percentage of the biodiversity for which the UK has global responsibility and is located in the UK Overseas Territories. Of the total number of endemic species associated with the UK’s biodiversity, 94% reside in the Territories.