Part 1: Environmental Governance Chapter 1: Improving the natural environment Section 9: Annual reports on environmental improvement plans
Section 9 establishes a duty on the Secretary of State to produce annual reports on the implementation of the environmental improvement plan (EIP) and on whether the natural environment is improving. It explains when and how these reports should be published. Given section 8(6), this section applies only in relation to England.
	Subsection (1) requires the Secretary of State prepare annual reports on the implementation of EIPs. These reports must be published (subsection (8)) and laid before Parliament (subsection (7)).
	Subsection (2) requires that annual reports must describe what has been done to implement the EIP, and consider whether the natural environment (or particular aspects of it) has improved, during the period to which the report relates. Consideration of whether the environment has improved must have regard to information gathered under section 16.
	Subsection (3) provides that, when considering whether the natural environment (or aspects of it) has improved, the Secretary of State must consider the progress that has been made towards achieving the targets (or any relevant targets) set under sections 1, 2 and 3, and the interim targets (or any relevant interim targets) set under sections 11 and 14.
	Subsection (4) explains that the first annual report on the current EIP may cover any 12 month period that includes the day on which section 9 comes into force. The government has already committed to producing annual reports on the implementation of the 25 Year Environment Plan. The first report was published on 16 May 2019, and covers the period from the EIP being launched until March 2019. The intention of this subsection is to allow the timing of the first statutory report to be aligned with the preceding non-statutory reports.
	Subsection (5) states that, following the replacement of the current EIP, the first annual report should relate to the first 12 months of that EIP.
	Subsection (6) states that all other annual reports should relate to the 12 month period immediately following the previous reporting period. This ensures that there is a continuous timeline of annual reports relating to consecutive 12 month periods for the duration of each EIP.
	Subsection (7) requires the Secretary of State to lay each annual report before Parliament within four months of the end of the 12 month period on which it reports. For example, an annual report assessing the period 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021 must be laid before Parliament by 31 July 2021. Subsection (8) requires the Secretary of State to publish all annual reports laid before Parliament under this section.