Second
Reading of the Environment Bill takes place in the Commons today. I am backing
the new legislation as it offers this generation a real opportunity to leave
the natural world in a better condition than it inherited. The Environment Bill
is one of the flagship pieces of legislation for the new Conservative
Government and it aims to protect and enhance the natural environment by
tackling a priority of our time. In part this legislation is borne out of the
need to address environmental regulation in view of the UK leaving the EU, but
it goes much further than simply creating a new post-Brexit framework for the environment.
The Bill outlines improved measures to tackle waste; enhance water efficiency
and resource management; address air quality, as well as a renewed focus on
biodiversity and conservation. The Bill will also create an Office for
Environmental Protection to monitor and enforce new and higher standards.
More
details are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-bill-2020/30-january-2020-environment-bill-2020-policy-statement
This Bill offers us the opportunity to finish what was
started in the last Parliament and to make sure this generation passes on our
precious environment in a better state than we found it. We have made real
progress in recent years. But this new legislation goes much further.
In
addition this week I have met with local Environment Agency representatives to
discuss a number of key issues including the response to the recent storms,
passing on my thanks of residents for all the teams work, but also to chase up
the long awaited River Tyne revised modelling which is a hot topic at our flood
forums.
Clearly
the biggest impact has been my successful plan to lower the Kielder reservoir post
Storm Desmond – see here:
And
we have driven forward innovative local schemes as seen on Tyne Green
But
the long term change will not happen unless the EA approach the River Tyne in a
different way. We cannot do this without the revised modelling and
consequential approach thereafter. I continue to work with local groups, flood
groups, councillors and Nick Oliver who leads for us in Tynedale and
Northumberland on flood prevention.
I have also had meetings this week with
the Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow MP, and the Secretary of State to raise issues
with the proposed Kielder Water Abstraction as I have been contacted by a
number of concerned businesses, and to continue to press for a replacement of
the leader scheme, and an update on both the RPA / BPS situation before next Friday
weeks farming surgery and getting more clarity on the progress of the great
Northumberland Forest million trees programme. I am holding a forestry summit /
update meeting with NCC and key local stakeholders, including Paul Brannen who
has done great work on this issue, in Morpeth on Friday.
