The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Theresa Villiers)

At the heart of the Government’s proposal is a new system for England that pays public money for the delivery of public goods, such as clean air and water, from which we all benefit but the market alone does not provide. The Bill will allow us to invest public money in enriching wildlife habitats, preventing flooding, improving the quality of air and soil, planting more trees and raising standards of animal welfare. The enhancement of these public goods will help manage and mitigate the effects of climate change which is of profound public concern. The Bill will therefore be instrumental in delivering on the Government’s crucial goal to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

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