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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to protect the environment after the UK leaves the EU; and whether those steps will aim to maintain existing levels of protection as required under current EU legislation.

The Government is committed to maintaining environmental standards after we leave the EU, and will continue to uphold international obligations through multilateral environmental agreements.

The EU (Withdrawal) Act will ensure existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government will establish a new, independent statutory body to hold Government to account on the environment, alongside a statutory statement of environmental principles to guide future Government policy making.