Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Biodiversity Gain Site Register Regulations 2024 will come into force on 12 February 2024, in the context of their approval by both Houses in January 2024.

The Biodiversity Gain Site Register (Financial Penalties and Fees) Regulations 2024 and The Biodiversity Gain (Town and Country Planning) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2024, which were both subject to the affirmative procedure, were laid before parliament on 30 November 2023 and following debates on 8 and 10 January 2024 they were formally approved by parliament. The final four statutory instruments, subject to the negative procedure, were then laid before parliament on Friday 19 January 2024. Following the usual parliamentary procedure of allowing 21 days between laying legislation and it coming into force, the new mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement will come into force for major development, subject to the confirmed exemptions and transitional arrangements, on 12 February 2024.