{"primaryDescription":"<h2>MPs question Nature Minister on global biodiversity loss and national security</h2>\r\n<p>On Wednesday the Environmental Audit Committee will question Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP, on the consequences of global biodiversity loss on the UK&rsquo;s national security.</p>\r\n<p>In January, the government published a <a href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">14-page National Security Assessment</a> on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. The document warns that &ldquo;global ecosystem degradation and collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity&rdquo; and could lead to instability, conflict, migration and greater competition between states for resources.</p>\r\n<p>Some media outlets claim to have seen a full unpublished version warning of mass migration to the UK and escalating nuclear tensions, but the government has so far not confirmed that this document exists, despite several requests from the committee.</p>","secondaryDescription":"<p>MPs are likely to ask the Minister what the government is doing to collaborate across government and internationally to deal with the risks of biodiversity loss, such as rainforest collapse, for UK national security.</p>\r\n<p>They are also likely to ask how cuts to aid funding will impact the government&rsquo;s ability to respond, and how the assessment is informing the UK&rsquo;s approach to the COP17 biodiversity conference in October.</p>","parliamentTvUrl":"https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/29dfbca9-26fd-4fbb-a570-a15076a3d0f0","id":27763,"name":null,"startDate":"2026-07-08T15:00:00","endDate":"2026-07-08T17:00:00","cancelledDate":null,"locationId":11,"location":"Room 8, Palace of Westminster","eventType":{"id":6,"name":"Formal meeting (oral evidence session)","isVisit":false,"description":"Formal meetings may be held in private (for example to consider a draft report) or in public (for example to hear oral evidence), and require a minimum number of members to be present."},"eventSource":"CIS","committees":[{"contact":{"email":"eacom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":"Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA","contactDisclaimer":"We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone.\r\nPlease be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints."},"id":62,"name":"Environmental Audit Committee","parentCommittee":null,"subCommittees":[],"house":"Commons","leadHouse":null,"category":{"id":1,"name":"Select"},"committeeTypes":[{"id":22,"name":"(HC) Public Standing Orders - Cross-cutting","committeeCategory":{"id":1,"name":"Select"}}],"showOnWebsite":true,"websiteLegacyUrl":"https://old.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/","websiteLegacyRedirectEnabled":false,"startDate":"1997-11-12T00:00:00","endDate":null,"dateCommonsAppointed":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","dateLordsAppointed":null,"scrutinisingDepartments":[],"isLeadCommittee":true,"nameHistory":[{"id":61,"committeeId":62,"name":"Environmental Audit Committee","startDate":"1997-11-12T00:00:00","endDate":null}]}],"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9776,"title":"National security assessment and COP-17","type":{"id":2,"name":"Non-inquiry session","isInquiry":false,"description":"Non-inquiry sessions are brief packages of work that will not necessarily result in a report. They may be used to revisit previous inquiry topics or take evidence on a topical matter."},"openDate":"2026-05-13T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"eacom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"childEvents":[],"nextActivity":null,"activities":[{"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9776,"title":"National security assessment and COP-17","type":{"id":2,"name":"Non-inquiry session","isInquiry":false,"description":"Non-inquiry sessions are brief packages of work that will not necessarily result in a report. They may be used to revisit previous inquiry topics or take evidence on a topical matter."},"openDate":"2026-05-13T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"eacom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"oralEvidences":[],"id":38260,"name":null,"startDate":"2026-07-08T15:30:00","endDate":"2026-07-08T17:00:00","eventId":27763,"isPrivate":false,"activityType":"Oral evidence","attendees":[{"displayOrder":1,"organisations":[{"name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","role":"Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/Wr1dkWDb","cisId":29909}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36369,"personId":null,"name":"Mary Creagh MP","photoUrl":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/1579/Thumbnail","memberInfo":{"memberFrom":"Coventry East","party":"Labour","partyColour":"d50000","mnisId":1579,"isChair":false,"listAs":"Creagh, Mary","displayAs":"Mary Creagh","fullTitle":"Mary Creagh MP","addressAs":null,"house":"Commons","isCurrent":true}},{"displayOrder":2,"organisations":[{"name":"Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office","role":"Director of Energy, Climate and Environment Directorate","idmsId":null,"cisId":5852}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36370,"personId":25951,"name":"Ros Eales","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":3,"organisations":[{"name":"Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs","role":"Director General for Environment","idmsId":null,"cisId":1617}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36442,"personId":7033,"name":"Sally Randall","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":4,"organisations":[{"name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","role":"Director of International Biodiversity and Climate","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/Wr1dkWDb","cisId":29909}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36443,"personId":63659,"name":"Andrea Ledward CBE","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null}]}]}