To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a new forum to bring together (a) his Department, (b) the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, (c) the hon. Member for South Cotswolds, (d) campaign groups, (e) NGOs and (f) youth groups to help improve collaboration on climate and nature issues as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan review process.

The Government has already ensured a wide range of stakeholders play an integral role in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) review process, on which we will continue to build.

We have, for example, established a new Cross-Sector Stakeholder Advisory Group including NGOs, which informed a rapid review of existing action and will continue to support the development of a revised EIP this year. Alongside government’s Policy Lab we are running an online ‘Collective Intelligence’ debate in March to consider the perspectives of hundreds of wider stakeholders, including youth groups. We will continue to engage across government, including with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, recognising climate and nature’s fundamental role in economic growth and to each of the missions that define this government.

We also welcome the vital role that Parliamentarians play in informing and scrutinising our plans, informed by the efforts of the Zero Hour campaign, led by the hon. Member for South Cotswolds. We have agreed with the Bill’s sponsors to take forward a number of actions including making an annual climate and nature statement to parliament and the country, and greater public participation on these issues.