Here in Defra, we deal with a vast range of issues that have a profound impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for the environment, our countryside and rural economy, as well as the food and farming sectors. We also provide protection against a wide range of natural threats and hazards. To support this work, Defra are currently establishing the new Office for Environmental Protection, a public body with the principal objective of contributing to environmental protection and improving the natural environment. Initially, the Interim OEP will be set up as a division within Defra to provide independent oversight of the government’s environmental progress on a non statutory basis. The OEP will then be legally established and gain its full powers through the Environment Bill in l