Part 1: Environmental Governance Chapter 1: Improving the natural environment Section 18: Policy statement on environmental principles: process
Section 18 establishes the process by which the Secretary of State will develop and publish the environmental principles policy statement.
	Subsection (1) sets out the duty for the Secretary of State to prepare a draft policy statement. This will be an initial version of the statement before public and parliamentary scrutiny.
	Subsection (2) requires the Secretary of State to conduct a public consultation.
	Subsection (3) requires that a draft must be produced and laid before Parliament for its consideration. This must take place before the policy statement is finalised.
	Subsection (4) includes provisions for cases where Parliament chooses to respond to the draft policy statement, either by passing a resolution in respect of the draft policy statement, or recommending changes to the statement, within the period of 21 sitting days after the draft statement has been laid. The Secretary of State is required to lay a response to any resolution passed or recommendations made by Parliament.
	Subsection (5) requires the final policy statement to be presented to Parliament before being published. The Secretary of State must not publish the final statement before laying a response if required under subsection (4) or, otherwise, before a period of 21 sitting days has passed since the draft statement is laid. This is intended to allow Parliament sufficient time to scrutinise the draft policy statement.
	Subsection (6) provides that the final policy statement has effect when laid before Parliament, at which point the Secretary of State is required to publish it (subsection (7)).
	Subsection (10) enables the requirements in subsections (1) and (2) as to preparation of the statement and consultation to be met prior to the coming into force of the relevant provisions of the Act.
	Subsection (11) allows the Department to revise the policy statement at any time and requires the process set out in sub-paragraphs (1) to (9) to be followed each time that the policy statement is revised.