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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government’s policy statement on environmental principles published in December 2018, what plans the Government has to publish a public consultation on those principles.

It is our intention to launch a 12-week consultation this March on a draft policy statement on environmental principles. This will outline how to interpret and proportionately apply the five internationally recognised environmental principles, plus a new duty which will embed these principles in policy making across government. We welcome feedback on the draft statement once published.