The Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) has launched a report highlighting its concerns with the lack of time remaining for the development of secondary legislation needed for a working statute book on exit day.
It also states it is concerned with the lack of parliamentary scrutiny, and that it’s essential that enough time and resource remains for parliamentary committees to review and agree on the appropriate level of examination for each law.
EPF has recently called for a new independent body for environmental governance, which Michael Gove has somewhat taken into consideration, as he suggested the establishment of a new “commission-like body” to hold public bodies accountable of environmental law.
With time running out, EPF has asked the Government to discuss the matter of a new body and agree to the formation before Britain leave leaves the European Union, which is currently expected to occur on 29th March 2019.
EPF has made the point that there was no clarification regarding the “Henry VIII powers”, which allows Ministers to set different exit dates for various matters.
As the Bill is already drafted, Ministers would retain the power to set other exit dates until the exit date has passed.
EPF has called for consideration and clarity on this matter.
