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Natural Resources Act 2014 1

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Natural Resources Act 2014


2014 CHAPTER 40
BILL 27

An Act to protect the natural resources of the United Kingdom and prevent
exploitation of its countryside.
[22nd November 2014]

B E IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1 Natural Resources Department


(1) There is established a body corporate known as the Natural Resources Department.
(2) The functions of the Department are
(a) resource exploration and assessment,
(b) the maintenance of standards in mining, quarrying, drilling and forestry, and
(c) the provision of ecological, geological, archaeological and engineering advice.
(3) The Department may
(a) with regard to any prior enactments,
(b) in consultation with the pollution control bodies, and
(c) without regard to commercial interests,
grant or revoke operating licences.
(4) The mineral rights to all land within the United Kingdom are to be held by the
Secretary of State; and no planning consent to exploit minerals is to be granted
(a) without local and national agreement, and
(b) unless it is stipulated in the consent that
(i) the environmental impact of any work be minimised,
(ii) the extraction activities maximise the resources obtained, and
(iii) the affected land is returned to a similar or improved ecological status.
2 Natural Resources Act 2014

2 Resource taxation
(1) The Chancellor of the Exchequer may by regulations provide for a levy to be
charged at the earliest possible point in the harvesting or extraction processes for all
natural resources.
(2) The Chancellor of the Exchequer may by regulations, after consultation with the
Natural Resources Department, prescribe or vary the rate at which a levy imposed
by regulations under subsection (1) is charged.
(3) Regulations made under subsection (2) must provide for a zero- or reduced-rate
levy for recycled materials and reused products.
(4) The revenue from charging the levy must be applied for or in relation to
(a) subsidising or investing in energy conservation causes and community-
owned renewable energy generation, or
(b) programmes for the conservation of the rural environment.

3 Water
(1) The Natural Resources Department may issue consents for the abstraction of water
for agricultural, domestic, or industrial purposes.
(2) The Department must only issue a consent if
(a) unavoidable or unacceptable environmental costs will not result, and
(b) the best available technology is to be used to minimise the potential of
pollution of subsequent discharges.
(3) There is established a body corporate known as the National Water Board.
(4) The functions of the Board are the supply of drinking water and the management of
water services.
(5) Any other enterprise managing water services is to cease operating such services by
1st January 2017.
(6) The Water Regulatory Services Authority is to oversee the National Water Board.
(7) The National Water Board must, before it may tender a contract, receive the consent
of the Secretary of State and the Water Regulatory Services Authority.

4 Hydraulic fracturing
(1) Despite any previous enactment, on-shore hydraulic fracturing is to be prohibited.
(2) Any licence issued by which permits on-shore hydraulic fracturing is revoked to
the extent which it permits such fracturing; and no further such licences may be
issued.
(3) Any subsidies programme relating to the extraction of fossil fuels is to cease; and
any funds which were to be spent in connection with such a programme are to be
applied for or in relation to
(a) investment in renewable energy sources and in particular community-owned
projects,
(b) the elimination of fuel poverty, and
(c) rural environment conservation programmes.

5 Meaning of natural resources


In this Act, natural resources means
Natural Resources Act 2014 3

(a) oil, coal, and natural gas,


(b) metalliferous and bulk minerals,
(c) hardwoods,
(d) aggregates,
(e) water,
(f) reusable or recyclable waste material, and
(g) such other materials or substances as the Natural Resources Department may
by regulations prescribe.

6 Regulations
(1) Regulations under this Act are to be made by statutory instrument.
(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this Act must not be made
unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution
of each House of Parliament.

7 Extent, commencement and short title


(1) This Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.
(2) This Act comes into force on 1st January 2015.
(3) This Act may be cited as the Natural Resources Act 2014.

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