Environment Minister appears before MPs to discuss post-Brexit chemicals regulation, water quality and recycling
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow appears before the Environmental Audit Committee in her first appearance back before the EAC since she was reappointed a minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), a role which saw her take the Environment Bill through the House of Commons.
Meeting details
The evidence session is likely to predominantly focus on progress implementing the UK REACH regulatory framework for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals in Great Britain following Brexit. This follows up on previous EAC intervention on the issue in September 2020. To inform the questioning of this evidence session, the EAC sought stakeholder views in a call for evidence, with written submissions published today.
The EAC is also likely to discuss the Government’s policy around improving water quality, such as on nutrient neutrality, following recommendations made within the EAC’s report earlier this year on Water quality in rivers. Water scarcity and experiences from this summer’s heatwave is also likely to be raised, as will the Government’s plans to establish a deposit return scheme.