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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department plans to ensure independent scrutiny and enforcement of environmental standards after the UK leaves the EU; and what consultations with outside bodies it will undertake.

On 12 November the Secretary of State set out plans to consult on a new, independent and statutory body to hold the Government and potentially public authorities to account on the environment once we have left the European Union.

We are already gathering views from stakeholders and will consult widely when we bring forward our proposals for this body.