Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps is the Department taking to ensure that environmental regulation affecting UK manufacturing supports the objectives of the Government's industrial strategy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that environmental regulation supports both our environmental objectives and the competitiveness of UK manufacturing. We are reforming our regulatory system through our regulatory action plan to create a regulatory environment that is proportionate, predictable and supportive of investment and growth whilst maintaining essential protections for consumers and the environment.

Defra consulted on modernising environmental permitting for industry in August 2025. These reforms will support Britain’s re-industrialisation and the delivery of our Modern Industrial Strategy by modernising environmental regulation of industry to help get Britain building, deliver clean energy, and improve public health and the environment. The reforms will enable innovation through regulatory sandboxes for R&D trials, reduce the regulatory burden on many businesses and streamline outdated guidance to support investment, and support deployment of clean power through proportionate and risk-based regulation of new technologies.

Defra published the government response to its August 2025 consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry, on 15 April 2026. Work with stakeholders on the reforms is now underway with further announcements on the detail of reforms and regulatory changes planned for 2027.