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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to (a) amend and (b) repeal assimilated EU law on the Habitats Directive on (i) newts and (ii) other protected species.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

As the Prime Minister said in his speech on 5 December the Government will streamline development processes to meet new and ambitious targets to build 1.5 million homes and advance 150 major infrastructure projects.

The Government will also use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to establish a more efficient and effective way for obligations related to our most important sites and species to be discharged at a scale that has the greatest environmental benefits.

The Government has committed to only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes. Necessary amendments may be made to assimilated EU law on the Habitats Directive to secure the operability of the proposed new approach.