NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL COMMUNITIES BILL

KEY MEASURES

• Creation of Natural England (integrating English Nature, the bulk of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service) - making access to advice and support simpler and easier.
• Establishment of the Commission for Rural Communities to ensure the Government's policies make a real and tangible difference to people in rural areas, especially in tackling social and economic exclusion and disadvantage.
• Powers to allow both the Secretary of State, and Defra's delivery bodies, to delegate functions to one another by mutual consent. Aim is to provide simpler and more effective access to services and customers and enable future efficiency savings through rationalisation.
• General powers to enable the Secretary of State to take forward the findings of a current review of Levy Bodies, due to report later this year, and to directly fund activities within Defra's remit, thus providing maximum flexibility. Updates wildlife protection, SSSI and national park legislation.

TERRITORIAL EXTENT

The core of the Bill, setting up Natural England and the Commission for Rural Communities, will apply to England only. A number of the additional provisions will cover England, Scotland, Wales and, in part, Northern Ireland. 

COMMENTS

If you have any comments on the proposals you can email them to:

Nercbillenquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Bill was published in draft on 10 February for a period of pre-legislative scrutiny. Further information can be found at

www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/bill.