Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will announce the budget for the Office for Environmental Protection; and whether this will be ring-fenced within the relevant spending review.
The Government is committed to establishing the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) with sufficient funding to fulfil its statutory functions. The OEP will be given a five-year indicative budget, which will be ring-fenced by Defra within the spending review period. The OEP’s budget for financial year 22/23 and an indicative five-year budget will be announced before it comes into effect at the start of the next financial year.