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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether current (a) standards and (b) duties in the Environment Act to meet the Government's target to halt species decline by 2030 will be maintained until they are superseded with stronger protections; and if he will make a statement.

HM Government remains fully committed to the standards and duties set out in the Environment Act. Duties such as Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, and a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities will drive action towards achieving our world-leading, legally binding target to halt the decline of species abundance by 2030. Legally binding targets and environmental standards have been key to improvements seen in areas such as air quality and recycling rates in recent decades.

Environmental principles will ensure the environment is at the heart of government policy-making, while the Office for Environmental Protection will ensure that this government, and future governments, are held to account if they fail to uphold their environmental duties.