Environment Bill — Clause 18 — Policy Statement on Environmental Principles — Exemptions — 20 Oct 2021 at 16:46

The majority of MPs voted to exempt national security and defence as well as taxation and spending from those policy areas where ministers would be required to have due regard to environmental policy.

MPs were considering the Environment Bill.^[1][2]

The motion supported by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 28.

Lords amendment 28^[4] stated:

• Page 11, line 24, leave out paragraphs (a) and (b)

Had it not been rejected this amendment would have impacted Clause 18 of the Bill^[3] which was titled: Policy statement on environmental principles: effect and stated:

• (1) A Minister of the Crown must, when making policy, have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles currently in effect.
• (2) Nothing in subsection (1) requires a Minister to do anything (or refrain from doing anything) if doing it (or refraining from doing it)—
• (a) would have no significant environmental benefit, or
• (b) would be in any other way disproportionate to the environmental benefit.
• (3) Subsection (1) does not apply to policy so far as relating to—
• (a) the armed forces, defence or national security,
• (b) taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within government, or
• (c) Wales.

Had it not been rejected the amendment would have removed the exemptions relating to national security and defence as well as taxation and spending from the Bill.

Clause 16(5) of the Bill, as at the time of the vote^[3] stated:

• In this Part “environmental principles” means the following principles—
• (a) the principle that environmental protection should be integrated into the making of policies,
• (b) the principle of preventative action to avert environmental damage,
• (c) the precautionary principle, so far as relating to the environment,
• (d) the principle that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source, and
• (e) the polluter pays principle.

The Bill^[3] required a Secretary of State to make "a policy statement on environmental principles" "explaining how the environmental principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied by Ministers of the Crown when making policy".

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Environment Bill, Parliament.uk
• [2] Explanatory notes to the Environment Bill, 30 January 2020, Parliament.uk
• [3] The Environment Bill as introduced to the House of Lords on 26 May 2021, Parliament.uk
• [4] Lords amendments to the Environment Bill, 14 October 2021, Parliament.uk
• [5] Explanatory notes to the Lords amendments to the Environment Bill, 14 October 2021, Parliament.uk

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