Annex A – Territorial extent and application

1893 Section 146 sets out the territorial extent of the sections in the Act. The extent of an Act is the legal jurisdiction where it forms part of the law. The extent of an Act can be different from its application. Application refers to where it has practical effect.

1894 Most of the Act forms part of the law of England and Wales and applies to England. Around half of the Act’s provisions extend and apply to Wales, with a significant number of provisions having Great Britain, UK or England, Wales and Northern Ireland extent. Sections 48, 59, 61, 65, 67, 71, 91 and Schedule 2 form part of the law of Northern Ireland and apply to Northern Ireland only. Sections 90 and 95 apply to Wales only.

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
Sections 1-7 (environmental targets) Yes No No No
Sections 8-15 (environmental improvement plans) Yes No No No
Section 16 (environmental monitoring) Yes No No No
Sections 17- 19 (Policy statement on environmental principles) Yes No No No
Section 20 (statements about Bills containing new environmental law) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 21 (reports on international environmental protection legislation) Yes No No No
Sections 22-27 (the Office for Environmental Protection) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 28 (monitoring and reporting on environmental improvement plans and targets) Yes No No No
Sections 29-30 (the OEP’s scrutiny and advice functions) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sections 31-41 (the OEP’s

enforcement functions)

Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sections 42-43 (information) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sections 44-47 (interpretation of Part 1) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 48 (improving the natural environment: No No No Yes

 

 

 

These Explanatory Notes relate to the Environment Act 2021 (c. 30) which received Royal Assent on 9 November 2021

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland)        
Section 49 (the Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 50 (producer responsibility obligations) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 51 (producer responsibility for disposal costs) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sections 52-53 (resource efficiency information and requirements) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 54 (deposit schemes) Yes Yes No Yes
Section 55 (charges for single use items) Yes Yes No Single use plastic items only.
Section 56 (charges for carrier bags) Yes No No Yes
Section 57 (separation of waste) Yes No No No
Section 58 (electronic waste tracking: Great Britain) Yes Yes Yes No
Section 59 (electronic waste tracking: Northern Ireland) No No No Yes
Section 60 (hazardous waste: England and Wales) Yes Yes No No
Section 61 (hazardous waste: Northern Ireland) No No No Yes
Section 62 (transfrontier shipments of waste) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 63 (regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 64 (powers to make charging schemes) Yes Yes Yes No
Section 65 (waste charging: Northern Ireland) No No No Yes
Section 66 (enforcement powers) Yes Yes No No
Section 67 (enforcement powers: Northern Ireland) No No No Yes
Section 68 (littering Yes Yes No No

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
enforcement)        
Section 69 (fixed penalty notices) Yes Yes No No
Section 70 (regulation of polluting activities) Yes Yes No No
Section 71 (waste regulation: amendment of Northern Ireland Order) No No No Yes
Section 72 (local air quality management framework) Yes In part In part No
Section 73 (smoke control areas: amendments of the Clean Air Act 1993) Yes In part No No
Sections 74-77 (environmental recall of motor vehicles etc) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 78 (water resources management plans, drought plans and joint proposals) Yes Yes No No
Section 79 (drainage and sewerage management plans) Yes Yes No No
Section 80 (Storm overflows) Yes No No No
Section 81 (Reporting on discharges from storm overflows) Yes No No No
Section 82 (Monitoring quality of water potentially affected by discharges) Yes No No No
Section 83 (Reduction of adverse impact of storm overflows) Yes No No No
Section 84 (Report on elimination of discharges from storm overflows) Yes No No No
Section 85 (authority’s power to require information) Yes Yes No No
Section 86 (water and sewerage undertakers in England: modifying appointments) Yes No No No
Section 87 (electronic service of documents) Yes Yes No No

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
Section 88 (water abstraction: no compensation for certain licence conditions) Yes No No No
Section 89 (water quality: powers of Secretary of State) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 90 (water quality: powers of Welsh Ministers) No Yes No No
Section 91 (water quality: powers of Northern Ireland department) No No No Yes
Section 92 (Solway Tweed river basin district: power to transfer functions) Yes No Yes No
Section 93 (water quality: interpretation) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 94 (valuation of other land in drainage district: England) Yes No No No
Section 95 (valuation of other land in drainage district: Wales) No Yes No No
Section 96 (valuation of agricultural land in drainage district: England and Wales) Yes Yes No No
Section 97 (disclosure of Revenue and Customs information) Yes Yes No No
Sections 98-101 (biodiversity gain in planning) Yes No No No
Sections 102-103 (biodiversity objective and reporting) Yes No No No
Sections 104-108 (local nature recovery strategies) Yes No No No
Sections 109-111 (conservation) Yes No No No
Sections 112-113 (habitats regulations) Yes No No No
Sections 114-115 (tree felling and planting) Yes No No No
Section 116 (use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity) Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
Sections 117-139 (conservation covenants) Yes No No No
Section 140 (amendment of REACH legislation) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 141 (Amendments of Schedule 7B to the government of Wales Act 2006) No Yes No No
Section 142 (consequential provision) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 143 (regulations) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 144 (Crown application) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 145 (financial provisions) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 146 (extent) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 147 (commencement) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 148 (transitional or saving provision) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Section 149 (short title) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 1 — The Office for Environmental Protection Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 2 — Improving the natural environment: Northern Ireland No No No Yes
Schedule 3 — The Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 4 — Producer responsibility obligations Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 5 — Producer responsibility for disposal costs Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 6 — Resource efficiency information Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 7 — Resource efficiency requirements Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 8 — Deposit schemes Yes Yes No Yes
Schedule 9 — Charges for Yes Yes No Single use plastic

 

Provision Extends to England & Wales and applies to England? Extends to England & Wales and applies to Wales? Extends and applies to Scotland? Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?
single use plastic items       items only
Schedule 10 — Enforcement powers Yes Yes No No
Schedule 11 — Local air quality management framework Yes In part In part No
Schedule 12 — Smoke control in England and Wales Yes In part No No
Schedule 13 — Modifying water and sewerage

undertakers’ appointments:

procedure for appeals

Yes No No No
Schedule 14 — Biodiversity gain as condition of planning permission Yes No No No
Schedule 15 — Biodiversity gain in nationally significant infrastructure projects Yes No No No
Schedule 16 — Controlling the felling of trees in England Yes No No No
Schedule 17 – Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity Yes Yes Yes Yes
Schedule 18 — Discharge or modification of obligations under conservation covenants Yes No No No
Schedule 19 — Application of Part 7 to Crown land Yes No No No
Schedule 20 — Consequential amendments relating to Part 7 Yes No No No
Schedule 21 — Amendment of REACH legislation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Share this article

Contact McMahon Legal