Key Facts

• The Committee will meet on specified dates and times from Tuesday 3 November to Thursday 26 November.
• Amendments must be laid by the rise of the House on Thursday for discussion on Tuesday and by the rise of the House on Monday for discussion on Thursday.
• There is no facility for making a ministerial statement to the Committee.
• The amendment proposes inserting new subsections (4) in clause 7.
• The new subsections require measures in the plan to be proportionate to set targets, protect vulnerable groups, include a timetable for implementation, and provide analysis of impact.
• It aims to bridge a narrative gap between different parts of the Environment Bill.
• The Environment Bill's work has not paused despite being adjourned.
• A call for evidence was launched to identify public bodies required to reduce air pollution.
• Five local nature recovery strategy pilots were launched in Cornwall, Buckinghamshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, and Northumberland.
• The Prime Minister committed to protect 30% of land by 2030.
• Plans are set out to power every home with wind energy by 2030 through doubling renewable capacity.
• The Environment Bill includes a statutory cycle of monitoring, reporting, and planning.
• The Bill creates a statutory triple lock to drive short-term progress towards long-term environmental targets.
• The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will hold the Government accountable through regular scrutiny.
• Amendment 201 aims to modify clause 7.
• Amendment 202 is related and modifies schedule 2.
• Both amendments seek to make it compulsory for the Government to include steps to improve public enjoyment of nature.
• The amendment would change 'may' to 'must' in clause 7.
• Park visits in the UK were up by 195% in June compared with February.
• The Government scheme for pocket parks was announced in March 2020 and received £1.35 million funding, creating 68 new pocket parks.
• Access to green space is associated with a 24% increase in daily physical activity.
• Parks deliver an estimated £6.5 billion of health benefits annually.
• For every £1 spent on parks in England, an estimated £7 in additional wealth is generated for health and wellbeing.
• The amendment has the support of the Ramblers organisation.
• The Bill contains several instances where it uses 'may' instead of 'must', indicating optional rather than mandatory actions.
• Alan Whitehead commends James Gray for bringing forward an amendment that highlights one such instance of 'may'.
• There is a call for the Minister to reflect on this issue and consider amending certain parts of the Bill to replace 'mays' with 'musts'.
• The Government’s 25-year environment plan aims to connect more people with nature for health and wellbeing.
• Projects include the children in nature programme, green social prescribing shared outcomes fund (£1.35 million), and £40 million green recovery challenge fund.
• A national framework of green infrastructure standards is being developed to improve green spaces.
• The legal record of rights of way will be completed for clarity.
• James Gray is chairing a session of the Public Bill Committee on the Environment Bill.
• The committee aims to focus on specific amendments and avoid broad discussions.
• Alan Whitehead's amendment seeks to include steps for government conservation efforts in environmental improvement plans.
• The 25-year environment plan aims to improve and safeguard the beauty and environmental value of natural scenery while being sensitive to heritage considerations.
• Stakeholders welcomed the approach taken in the 25-year environment plan regarding heritage features.
• Future Governments are expected to mirror this approach in future environmental improvement plans.
• Clause 8 places a duty on the Secretary of State to produce annual reports on progress in implementing the Environmental Improvement Plan.
• Biodiversity reports will be produced by local authorities, local planning authorities, and other large landowning authorities over a five-year period.
• The amendment aims to ensure that these biodiversity reports are taken into account when producing annual environmental improvement plan reports.
• Amendment 90 proposes to include an analysis of policy effectiveness in meeting set targets.
• The amendment relates to clause 7(5) and sections 1, 2, 10, and 13 of the Environment Bill.
• Whitehead suggests that this is necessary to rectify architectural defects in the Bill.
• Amendment 91 removes "proportionately" from clause 16, page 10, line 6.
• Amendment 92 removes subsection (2) of clause 18, page 11, line 13.
• The word 'proportionately' is not defined in the Bill.