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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to replace the funding provided by the EU's LIFE programme after the UK has left the EU.

The Joint Report from the negotiators of the EU and the UK Government published on 8 December 2017 stated that UK entities’ right to participate in EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) programmes 2014-2020 will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The UK Government has committed to underwrite the funding awarded to UK LIFE projects even where they continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

We are considering options beyond 2020. The Government’s recently published 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our plans to protect and enhance the environment, including after our departure from the EU. Public funding will continue to play an important role in this.