Creating a better place

AGROMENES (March 23) warns against Government plans to ‘tear apart the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE), reconstitute the old National Rivers Authority in a new form to cover flood protection, and put what remains of protection and enforcement into a new body’. I can’t comment on that. What I can say is that I agree with George Eustice, who says in his Nature Recovery Green Paper that the EA and other Defra arm’s-length bodies provide vital services to communities and businesses, as well as protecting and enhancing our environment, and that we need the right bodies to deliver the Nature recovery we all want. We are working closely with Defra on how best to ensure that. In our view, the test for any changes should be that they will deliver better outcomes. Agromenes also says: ‘It’s not reorganisation we need, but proper arm’s-length independence and enough money for NE and EA to do their jobs.’ The Government has just given the EA a substantial budget uplift to protect against flooding and the environment against harm. Our focus must be on delivering these outcomes, which are vital for the country. Emma Howard Boyd, chair, Environment Agency