Business/CIWEM   Green ‘Government suffers damaging defeat in Lords over Withdrawal Bill amendments. The House of Lords has demanded the government bring in added environmental protections and worker’s rights after Brexit, as part of a rebellion in Parliament last night that delivered a bruising blow to the government’s Brexit plans. The upper house approved two amendments to the government’s Withdrawal Bill – the first to require the government to explore the option of a post-Brexit customs union with the EU, and the second to ensure additional environmental and labour protections.

Meanwhile the amendment on stronger protections – amendment 314/217 – was approved with a majority of 97 votes, including 14 Tory peers. It says that after Brexit ministers should not be allowed to amend retained EU law in certain areas, particularly environmental matters, unless by primary legislation. It comes in response to fears that ministers could re-write environmental law in the UK without scrutiny from Parliament.  Before Easter cross-bench peer Lord Krebs warned that in its original form the Withdrawal Bill “omits key elements of the body of EU environmental law which are needed to ensure future protection. It also fails to deliver the necessary arrangements to ensure that the public can effectively hold the government to account.”

Meanwhile in February the Environmental Policy Forum – which represents a range of environmental membership bodies, including IEMA, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management raised over the level of Parliamentary scrutiny green rules changes will be subject to.

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Click here to see Lords debate of the Withdrawal Bill including the Environment amendments