SINCE he took office at Defra in June, countryside groups apprehensive about the effect of leaving the EU have been wondering in which direction Secretary of State Michael Gove, a prominent cheerleader for Brexit, would jump first: farming or the environment.
Therefore, his announcement last week that he plans to create a new quango—on top of Natural England and the Environment Agency—to uphold environmental standards and to ‘advise and challenge Government and, potentially, other public bodies on environmental legislation’ has received a mixed reaction. ‘We are setting out our plans to ensure the powerful are held to account,’ explains Mr Gove, who will launch a consultation early next year. He says the independent body will encourage transparency and prevent ‘careless or irresponsible behaviour damaging our natural environment’.
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