Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many organisations (a) his Department has asked to sign and (b) have signed non-disclosure agreements in relation to the Environment Bill.

No non-disclosure agreements have been signed in relation to the Environment Bill other than by those contracted by the Government to undertake work on the long-term implementation of Bill policies. No non-disclosure agreements have been signed which relate to the drafting of Environment Bill legislation or amendments. Defra has asked two contractors to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their contracts to undertake work in relation to long-term work on implementation of policies introduced by the Environment Bill. Both of those contractors who have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements have done so. These are standard non-disclosure agreements for any company or individual carrying out work for the Government.