Today's Queen's Speech sprung a few surprises with a mix of good, bad and missing bills. But it was also a stark reminder of how tough it will be to raise the political profile of nature conservation in the crucial pre-election year. Here's my quick and dirty assessment of the new legislative programme...
...new powers to tackle invasive non-native species
This is good news. New powers will be given to Natural England and the Environment Agency to issue a control order to deal with problem species where prior discussions and agreements with the landowner fail. This is something that the Law Commission proposed in its review of wildlife management legislation. It's good to see the Government increasing efforts to tackle one of the fourth horsemen of the ecological apocalypse. It is something that the RSPB and other NGOs like Plantlife have been campaigning on for years. As I have written previously, INNS pose real problems for wildlife and do cause economic damage to the tune of £1.7 billion every year. I hope the powers are enacted and adopted as soon as possible.
...new rules to make it easier to drill for shale gas
This is bad news. I spent much of the last 24 hours at the first global conference on the concept of no net loss and offsetting. It was a stimulating event but I found it deeply depressing that the endless search for and exploration of fossil fuels continues at pace and threatens magnificent National Parks such as Virunga (see WWF campaign here) and Murchinson Falls (see here). What does any of this have to do with the Queen's Speech? Well, the dash for new fossil fuels in protected areas is not just confined to the developing world. Today's announcements about shale gas reminds us that the Government remains intent on exploiting the resource and has not ruled out fracking in England's protected areas despite the risks (see here). Last month, seven organisations, including the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and the HomeOwners Alliance, wrote to the Prime Minister expressing our concern over reported government plans to amend property access rights in order to enable companies to drill for shale gas without permission from the landowner. We are therefore very disappointed with today’s announcement that the Government will bring forward legislation subject to the ongoing DECC consultation. But, the fight is not over. Today, Greenpeace launched a petition against the changes to the law on trespass, which you can sign by clicking here. The RSPB also has an online action calling for the UK Government to exclude protected areas, national parts and other special places from the next licensing round on fracking. You can take part and email the Government by clicking here.
...targets for deregulation
This is (probably) bad news. New legislation was announced that would require ministers to set a “deregulation target” for each Parliament with the aim of making the UK “the most attractive place to start, finance, and grow a business”. This takes us further down the course already set by the Red Tape Challenge and the Deregulation Bill, which is currently at Report stage in the Commons. It is, of course, sensible to reduce unnecessary costs on businesses, but the whole deregulation agenda offers serious risks of perverse consequences especially for the environment. Not only do environmental regulations provide vital protection for the UK’s threatened wildlife and important wildlife sites, analysis by Defra (here) has shown that the benefits of biodiversity regulations outweigh the costs by a ratio of almost 9:1.
What's missing...
...measures to tackle wildlife crime
It is disappointing that the Government has not found time in this Parliament to implement the wider recommendations of the Law Commission review on wildlife management, or to introduce an offence of vicarious liability for illegal killing of birds of prey. This measure, already included in Scottish legislation, would ensure that those ultimately responsible for wildlife crime are held to account and prosecuted. We need tough deterrents and better enforcement. The pressure on Defra to come up with an adequate plan to tackle persecution and help recover hen harriers in England will only intensify.
...ambitious plans to underpin nature's recovery
This is desperately needed but will have to wait for another day. We have our work cut out to ensure nature gets a look in while the prime focus of the major political parties appears to be on growth. We're developing plans to disrupt this cosy consensus and ensure that those going to the polls in May 2015 do so with nature at the heart (or at least in the belly) of their manifestos.
That's my big, hairy, audacious goal for the next eleven months.
What did you think about today's Queen's Speech? And what's your big, hairy, audacious goal for the next year?
It would be great to hear your views.
I should just like to completely agree with THOMO. This is indeed the worst Government for protecting wildlife and the countryside since the second world war. Additionally, I am sure the powers for tackling non native invasive species have only been proposed purely from the point of view of cost to the exchequer and not with the slightest regard to wildlife.This government should be ashamed of its record.In fact it has nothing worthwhile to record at all.
redkite
Martin, you are spot on over the lost opportunity of securing our public forests for the future - it is a shame because, as you rightly say, after 3 years of lobbying the Government had brought forward proposals which would have had broad support from conservationists, the anti-sales protestors and the forest industries - a real rainbow coalition demonstrating how business, people and the environment can work together !
However, we do need to keep pushing: even without legislation the financial deal under discussion could be concluded, and that is especially important for birds: one of the biggest expenses the Forestry Commission makes no return from is managing heathland and a deal that pays it a fair rate to manage by far the largest area of heathland in one ownership will secure the future for wonderful species like Dartford Warbler, Nightjar, Woodlark and Hobby - and, in addition, potentially open the doors for even more restoration from conifer plantation.
I said in reply in another blog, that I think this coalition government is the worst one of any parliament since the first major wildlife laws in the 1950's for protecting wildlife and the countryside there has ever been. Since the end of the Second World War whether a government has been rightwing, leftwing or centre all previous governments where at least quite good at protecting the wildlife and the countryside, but not this coalition government.
Regards,
Ian.