The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hear evidence from the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on 2nd February as part of its ongoing inquiry into environmental regulation.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee will hear oral evidence this afternoon on the Government’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan to meet its legally binding environment and nature targets.

The UK government has welcomed the Office for Environmental Protection’s (OEP’s) report ‘Progress in improving the natural environment in England 2023 to 2024’ published in January 2025 and “largely accepts” the OEP’s recommendations.

The Office for Environmental Protection has called on the Government to take urgent action on progressing the environmental targets set out in the 25-year Environmental Improvement Plan and statutory targets set for the environment.

The Office for Environmental Protection has submitted advice to the Defra Secretary of State on reviewing and updating Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is warning of serious weaknesses which are currently limiting the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs’ ability to make evidence-based decisions about where to deploy its resources, and to understand wider impacts of its regulatory approach.