Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the publication of the fourth National Adaptation Programme from 2028.
Answer
The Government recognises the urgency of strengthening the UK’s resilience to the impacts of climate change and is acting now to increase climate resilience including on infrastructure and key services like schools and hospitals. We are developing the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) for publication in 2028, following publication of the statutory fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment in 2027. We have committed to setting stronger, measurable adaptation objectives through NAP4. The Government is retaining the 2028 publication date to ensure there is sufficient time to develop these objectives, and the associated delivery plans, effectively.20% vibes
Verdict: GREEN (88/100)
The reply addresses the single point raised in the question: whether bringing publication forward has merit. It confirms the 2028 date, notes the dependency on the 2027 CCRA4 assessment, and states the Government's reason for keeping 2028, which is to allow time to develop stronger objectives and delivery plans. The answer is direct and gives a clear reason, so a reader would likely have what they need without following up.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department's assessment or view of the potential merits of bringing forward the publication of the fourth National Adaptation Programme from 2028? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names the 2028 date and the 2027 CCRA4 dependency, then explicitly states the Government is retaining 2028 to allow sufficient time to develop stronger objectives and delivery plans, which answers the question of whether bringing publication forward has merit with a stated reason. |