Regulation is one of the main tools the government is using to make a success of the Environmental Improvement Plan. Government’s stated intention is to streamline regulation, to both safeguard nature and drive economic growth. Environmental regulators are sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with the two largest being the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England.
An independent review this year of Defra’s regulatory landscape found that the system is not working as well as it should to support either nature recovery or economic growth. The PAC’s 2022 report on government actions to combat waste crime found that the approach in this area had been closer to decriminalisation than tackling the problem. It warned in 2021 when scrutinising how government works to achieve its long-term environmental goals that progress was disappointing, with the complexity of environmental issues not a good enough excuse for serious delays in tackling critical environmental issues like air quality, water quality and wildlife loss.
In early 2026, the National Audit Office (NAO) publishes its study examining to what extent the EA and Natural England are well-placed to maximise the environmental benefits of how they regulate while ensuring business costs are proportionate. Proceeding from the NAO’s findings, the PAC will hear from senior officials at Defra, EA and Natural England as it scrutinises what regulators and Defra need to do to implement the change required to meet government’s environmental aims.
If you have evidence on these issues, please submit here by 23:59 on Wednesday 21 January 2026.
Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. The Committee decides what information to publish and how. You can request anonymity or confidentiality when you send evidence, but it is for the Committee to say whether it will agree.It may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this.
Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues.