Dame Glenys Stacey appointed as chair of the Office for Environmental Protection

The Environment Secretary George Eustice today appointed Dame Glenys Stacey as the Chair of the new Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

The appointment follows a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Audit Committees and Dame Glenys will take up the role in February 2021 working with the Interim Environmental Governance Secretariat before the OEP is established.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

"I am delighted to appoint Dame Glenys to Chair the OEP. She has an outstanding reputation of being an independent voice, establishing regulators and being able to hold government to account.

"The Office for Environmental Protection will be a world leader in environmental regulation – setting how government will have to stand up to its pledge to protect and enhance the environment as we build back better and greener."

Dame Glenys said:

"The OEP will one of the most important organisations of our time, dealing with the most pressing issues of our time. We have a hefty job to do, on behalf of the public and our future generations - making sure environmental law works and develops as it should, to truly protect and improve our environment, and holding government and public authorities to account without fear or favour.

"I am thrilled have the opportunity to lead and develop OEP, so that it becomes the unstinting and resolute watchdog we all want it to be."

The Office for Environmental Protection:

• The Environment Bill will create a new, independent statutory body with the principal objective of contributing to environmental protection and the improvement of the natural environment. It will provide the necessary legal authority to implement long-term environmental governance.
• The OEP will provide scrutiny and advice on the implementation of environmental law. It will also monitor and report on progress against Environmental Improvement Plans and targets.
• The OEP will be able to receive and investigate complaints on alleged serious breaches of environmental law by public authorities. It will also be able to take legal action in serious cases if necessary as a last resort.

The role of Chair:

• The Chair of the OEP will provide leadership and strategic vision for the board, ensure good governance and, with the board, hold the executive to account.
• The Chair will promote a positive and constructive relationship with everyone that works with the OEP including Parliament, government Ministers, departments, and public authorities; along with a wide range of interest groups as well as others.
• The Chair is appointed by, and is accountable to, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Biographical details of Dame Glenys Stacey:

• Dame Glenys Stacey is (until 31 December) acting Chief Regulator at Ofqual, having re-joined in late August 2020. Dame Glenys has previously served as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation and as Chief Executive at Animal Health (now part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency).
• In 2019, Dame Glenys chaired an independent review of farm regulation at the request of the then Secretary of State for Defra. Most recently, Dame Glenys served as chair of the Professional Standards Authority.
• A solicitor by profession, she has a wealth of CEO and regulatory experience, having led the start-up or development of a number of public-sector organisations responsible for legal or regulatory services.
• Dame Glenys was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in the New Year’s honours list in 2016 recognising her services to Education.