RPC statement about the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) late submission of the impact assessment relating to the regulations
The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) produces opinions of impact assessments (IAs) to help departments ensure that the evidence and analysis in them is sufficiently robust. We provide an independent opinion to assist ministerial decision making and parliamentary scrutiny of regulatory proposals. We publish these to assist parliamentarians and to ensure that they are available to external stakeholders. Government departments are expected to submit IAs to the RPC in time for the RPC to issue an opinion before the relevant legislation is laid before Parliament.
The Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament on 11 March 2025. The same day, DEFRA submitted an IA for RPC scrutiny. The RPC is currently reviewing the IA and will produce an opinion when its scrutiny has been completed. This will be made available to the Government and Parliament and published on the RPC's website, when this statement will be updated.
