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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to safeguard nature by ensuring EU environmental directives, including directives that protect the water environment are transposed into UK law after the UK leaves the EU; and what mechanisms and sanctions are in place to enforce that legislation.

We have a strong track record on protecting our environment. We have improved more than 5,300 miles of rivers since 2010. The water environment is in the healthiest state for 25 years with otters, salmon, sea trout and other wildlife having returned to many rivers for the first time since the industrial revolution. Producing aOur 25-year Environment Plan is a manifesto commitment and it will sets out how we will improve our environment as we leave the European Union.

Secondary legislation has already transposed EU Directives covering our water environment into domestic law. and tThe European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure that, wherever possible, this same legislation will apply the day after exit as it did before. The Bill will also convert European Union law into UK law as it applies in the UK at the moment of exit.

The Government is still making a detailed assessment of what corrections will be required to make that law function appropriately on the day we leave. As water quality is a devolved policy area, Ministers in the devolved administrations will exercise their corresponding powers to deal with deficiencies arising from withdrawal.

The UK has a legal framework for enforcing environmental protections and this will remain after we leave the European Union. This includes provision for regulators to enforce environmental regulations.