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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support businesses to meet their legal duties to the environment.

The Environment Agency appointed a new Chief Regulator, to deliver Government priorities to support business and sustainable economic growth, and ensure environmental regulation is future focused, effective and trusted.

A key part of the Chief Regulator’s role is to act as a critical friend to the Environment Agency, ensuring the organisation is making the improvements it needs to and holding it to account.

The new Chief Regulator’s report 2023-24 introduces the role of Chief Regulator. It summarises the performance of those it regulates, its own performance as a regulator, and changes needed to respond to a changing environment and support Government priorities.