Inquiry into the Business Case for the Single Environmental Body

On the 29 November 2011 the Minister for Environment and Sustainability, John Griffiths, announced that following the conclusion of the business case the Welsh Government had decided to establish a new single environment body for Wales. The new body will be formed from the merger of the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales and Forestry Commission Wales. The Government’s stated aims for the body are that it delivers the outcomes set out in the Natural Environment Framework currently being developed by the Welsh Government.

The Environment and Sustainability Committee decided to undertake a short and focussed inquiry to assess whether the business case that informed the Welsh Government’s decision to create a new body will deliver the natural environment outcomes the Government wishes to secure.

The terms of reference for the inquiry were as follows:

• to assess whether the business case put forward for the creation of a single environment body takes sufficient account of the broad outcomes set out in the Natural Environment Framework;
• to assess whether the business case adequately reflects the costs and benefits associated with the merger of the existing statutory environment bodies;
• to analyse whether the business case takes sufficient accounts of the potential risks associated with the creation of a single environment body including:

-  financial and economic risks;
-  legal and legislative risks;
-  performance risks;
-  accountability and transparency risks, and
-  reputational risks;

• to assess whether the business case take sufficient account of the views of key stakeholders affected by the creation of a single environment body.

The issues the Committee considered as part of these terms of reference included:

• the outcomes and objectives the Welsh Government has set out in its thinking on the natural environment framework and whether the business case takes sufficient account of the type of body that would be best suited to deliver these outcomes;
• the costs and benefits set out in the business case for the different options and whether these are sufficiently comprehensive and robust or whether further issues should be taken into consideration;
• whether the risks identified in the business case are sufficiently broad and complete or whether there are additional risks that have not been identified;
• stakeholders views of the business case and whether they were sufficiently consulted in its development.