AQW 5536/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 07/07/2020
Answered On Date: 25/08/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on work on establishing an independent environmental protection agency, as outlined in New Decade, New Approach.

Answer:

I believe that good environmental governance is about focusing on environmental outcomes and taking a strategic approach to the environmental challenges that we face here in Northern Ireland and on the global stage.

The Assembly has given its consent to extend the provisions of the UK Environment Bill giving effect to an Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to Northern Ireland and in due course I plan to issue a discussion document to gauge stakeholder views on how we should deal with environmental plans, principles and governance in the future. The OEP will be independent from Government and able to scrutinise and advise on environmental policy, investigate complaints and take enforcement action against public authorities.

I have committed to considering the implications of the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ proposal for the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency to form part of a future Programme for Government but an independent environmental protection agency cannot be created overnight – consideration needs to be given to appropriate options and these will all require robust economic appraisal to determine the best option for Northern Ireland. It is no small task to scope all of the potential impacts, including significant legislative, financial and human resource issues, which would be necessary before decisions can be made.

Understandably, in the current crisis resources are spread more thinly than I would like and so some prioritisation has been necessary. There are other issues that need to be addressed first, such as the OEP and Northern Ireland’s first overarching Green Growth Environment Strategy, which will help in our recovery from the devastating effects of Covid-19.