PACAC Select Committee and EA Non-Compliance with PHSO

There is something very, very wonky about the handling of the EA's non compliance with PHSO that has not been adequately explained. 

 

William Wragg MP has not volunteered the timing of his receipt of the James Bevan-EA response to his "on the record" letter dated 19th July 2022.

When the Bevan-EA response finally appeared on the PACAC SC correspondence web site/archive in June 2023 the only relevant correspondence date available was 31st August 2022. 

It is too easy to believe that Mr Wragg was in receipt of the Bevan-EA response the same day as the dating of that document in the absence of other supporting information.

Given the on the record nature of the 19/7/2022 Wragg letter it isn't unreasonable to expect that a response would be presented/published "to Parliament", on the record - on the PACAC correspondence web site immediately on receipt.

I feel it is important to discover if members of the PACAC Select Committee were aware of the content of the Bevan-EA reply before it was made public on the PACAC web site.

I am not claiming that Wiliam Wragg hid documents and egregiously delayed the business of Parliament - effectively misleading the House of Commons - but on the evidence - that must be a possibility - that, in my opinion should attract scrutiny by The Office of The Speaker.

There was a delay of almost 10 months where the Environment Agency's response to PACAC Chair's letter about non compliance with PHSO Earl Report was missing - this requires explanation.

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Yep... there is something very, very wonky about the handling of the EA's non compliance with PHSO that has not been adequately explained. 

We keep recovering the ball from the long grass....

The publishing of the reply from Sir James Bevan was (handily for EA officials) delayed past the annual PHSO scrutiny, and the EA has not protested it's innocence of causing the egregious delay - although it's clear that the EA's notional supervisory body DEFRA via Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey aren't satisfied at the way this matter has been handled... 

Parliament's off on recess - so the 4th September might just  see some action....

To save digging - here's a post from earlier this year that provides some context:

https://avoncliffmills.blogspot.com/2023/03/in-2009-we-applied-for-2-water-licenses.html