I want to like to thank the hundreds of constituents who have take the time to write to me about the Fingleton Nuclear Regulatory Review. I share your concerns about the impact the recommendations would have on protections for nature.
One of the main focuses of my work in Parliament is the protection of nature and the environment. I co-sponsored the Climate and Nature Private Members Bill which was debated last year – you can see my speech here. I am also the Vice Chair of the Climate and Nature Parliamentary Caucus.
My commitment to the protection of nature is why I have acted against the Fingleton Review recommendations. The review’s proposals to weaken the Habitat Regulations constitute a sledgehammer to crack a nut and would unnecessarily undermine legal protections for our most important wildlife sites. That’s why I signed this parliamentary motion calling on the Government to uphold legal protections for wildlife in infrastructure development.
I also signed this letter to the Secretary of State urging him not to implement recommendations 11,12 and 19 of the review, due to the detrimental consequences for nature, climate and energy they would have.
Whilst not perfect, I was pleased that the government listened to concerns and scrapped harmful proposals in their official response to the review:
- No ripping up of habitat regulations
- No new laws allowing cash to trash nature
- No scrapping of the Protected Landscapes Duty
The response was by no means perfect, though this at least shows that the pressure applied by the environmental sector and thousands of ordinary people has an impact. I will continue to fight to preserve strong protections for nature.