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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish a shadow environmental watchdog to come into effect on 30 March 2019 in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and if so, (1) how the membership of that shadow watchdog will be determined, (2) what powers the shadow watchdog will have, (3) what the shadow watchdog’s budget will be, and (4) whether they will set a date by which the shadow watchdog will be replaced by a permanent body.

The Government has committed to the implementation of a new environment body to hold the Government to account regarding compliance with its environmental legislation.

We will work to ensure that this body is in place as soon as possible after leaving the EU if no deal has been secured with the necessary powers to review and, if necessary, take enforcement action.

Any interim measures that may be necessary under a no deal scenario before the new body is formally established will be set out in due course.