Committee publication · Correspondence · 2 July 2026
Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to essential criteria for the appointment of Environment Agency Chair, 2 July 2026
Summary
The Environmental Audit Committee Chair writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs querying the appointment criteria for the next Environment Agency Chair. The letter raises concern that none of the six essential criteria specified omit environmental experience or sectoral management expertise, and requests written justification for this omission and consideration of revisiting the criteria by 16 July 2026.
Key findings
- The DEFRA Secretary of State's proposed appointment process for Alan Lovell's successor includes six essential criteria, none of which explicitly require environmental experience or skills
- The Environmental Audit Committee questions why management experience in the environmental sector is not listed as essential given the breadth of environmental areas the Agency covers
- The Committee acknowledges other criteria are important and that applicants need not excel in all areas, but regards the environmental skills gap as surprising
- Response requested by 16 July 2026 with published correspondence as standard practice
Tone
CriticalTopics
public-appointmentsenvironmental-governanceoversight
Key actors
Toby Perkins MP, Emma Reynolds MP, Alan Lovell, Environmental Audit Committee, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Environment Agency
Notable line
“… the omission of environmental criteria does seem surprising considering the breadth of environmental areas the Agency covers.”
Key Quotes
“I was concerned that none of the six 'essential criteria' detailed in your letter include any mention of environmental experience or skills, or indeed management of an organisation involved in the environmental sector.”
“Please can you write and explain why you feel that an ' essential ' environmental criterion is not required for this job, and whether you are prepared to revisit this.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗