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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to identify environmental protections which may require additional legislation when the UK leaves the EU.

The Withdrawal Bill will make sure the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law, providing businesses and stakeholders with maximum certainty as we leave the EU.

Defra has identified where SIs or other legislative action may be needed, but this is contingent on the outcome of negotiations and implementation of legislation.

The Secretary of State has also announced that we will consult on creating a new, statutory, independent body to uphold environmental standards, and a new policy statement setting out environmental principles.