HOW WILL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES CHANGE AFTER BREXIT? LORDS TO HEAR EVIDENCE

THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL COMMUNITIES
ACT 2006 WILL CONTINUE TAKING EVIDENCE FOR ITS INQUIRY ON TUESDAY 24
OCTOBER. THE COMMITTEE WILL QUESTION PROFESSOR DIETER HELM OF THE
NATURAL CAPITAL COMMITTEE, THE TENANT FARMERS ASSOCIATION AND THE
SMALL FARMS ASSOCIATION.

Natural Capital is an approach to nature conservation that recognises
the wide-ranging goods and services we obtain from the natural
world–food, water and timber, but also air and water purification,
flood prevention and social and psychological benefits. Natural
capital accounting is an emerging discipline that seeks to put a
monetary value on these so they can be taken into account in
cost-benefit analyses.

The Natural Capital Committee is an independent advisory committee
that provides expert, independent advice to Government on the state of
England’s natural capital.

AT 11:05AM THE COMMITTEE WILL HEAR EVIDENCE FROM:

* PROFESSOR DIETER HELM CBE, Professor of Economic Policy, University
of Oxford and Chairman of the Natural Capital Committee

TOPICS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO BE COVERED INCLUDE:

* What natural capital is and how its value can be calculated
* Whether the natural capital approach would enhance or weaken the
protections afforded by current nature conservation and legislation
* Whether local authorities have the capacity and expertise to carry
out natural capital accounting effectively at a local level
* What changes may need to be made to the UK’s governance for nature
and conservation after Brexit

The second evidence session will consider the experience of farmers
as customers of Natural England and as stakeholders in the process of
making policies that will affect rural areas.

AT 11:50AM THE COMMITTEE WILL HEAR EVIDENCE FROM:

* GEORGE DUNN, Chief Executive, Tenant Farmers Association
* DAVID TRIGGER MBE, Chairman, Small Farms Association

TOPICS LIKELY TO BE COVERED INCLUDE:

* How well national government has taken account of rural needs in
the policy-making process
* What the Government should do to take proper account of rural
communities’ needs during the Brexit process
* Whether provisions of the NERC Act 2006 addressed issues relating
to the use of motor vehicles on public rights of way in the
countryside

THE EVIDENCE SESSIONS WILL BEGIN AT 11:05AM, TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER IN
COMMITTEE ROOM 1 OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.