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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement of delays to the consideration of the Environment Bill, what assessment they have made of the impact on the proposed deadline of 31 October 2022 in that Bill for establishing long-term environmental targets; and what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that such deadlines are met if the Bill has not been given Royal Assent by 31 October 2022.

The Environment Bill requires that Statutory Instruments setting out the targets must be brought forwards by 31 October 2022 and will come into force once approved by Parliament. Work is continuing to meet this deadline.

We will continue to develop targets through the robust, evidence-led process set out in our policy paper, published in August 2020. This timetable is unaffected by the pause to the Bill. This process seeks independent expert advice, provides a role for stakeholders and the public, as well as scrutiny from Parliament. We are working towards a public consultation that will include proposed targets and an assessment of their impacts in early 2022.