Environment and Climate Change

Debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Mary Creagh

Wednesday 1st May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Corbyn]

The whole point of today’s debate is to declare an emergency to focus the attention of all of us on the sheer urgency of the issue because it is not going to go away; it is going to get considerably worse unless we act and set an example to other nations to also act.

[Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab)]

rose—

[Jeremy Corbyn]

I give way to the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee.

[Mary Creagh]

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on declaring an environment and climate emergency. Did he see the report the Committee produced last week stating that, if we leave the EU, the watchdog the Government are currently proposing is toothless because it does not have the power to fine Government for breaches of air pollution, water quality and waste standards? Does he agree that that is a very big barrier for the Government to overcome?

[Jeremy Corbyn]

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, the work her Committee does and the report it produced. The watchdog has to have all the teeth necessary to make sure the actions are taken. As I pointed out in response to an earlier intervention, there has to be a dynamic relationship with European regulations in order to achieve that. I thank her for her work.