{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-1995/section-56",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-1995/section-56.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1995/25",
  "legislation_title": "Environment Act 1995",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-1995",
  "path": "section/56",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "56",
  "heading": "Interpretation of Part I.",
  "text": "(1) In this Part of this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—\n...\n“the 1990 Act” means the Environmental Protection Act 1990;\n“the 1991 Act” means the Water Resources Act 1991;\n“appropriate agency” means the Agency or the Natural Resources Body for Wales;\n“the appropriate Minister”—\nin the case of the Agency, means the Secretary of State or the Minister; and\nin the case of SEPA, means the Secretary of State;\n“the appropriate Ministers”—\nin the case of the Agency, means the Secretary of State and the Minister; and\nin the case of SEPA, means the Secretary of State;\n“the appropriate national authority” means—\nin relation to the Agency, the Secretary of State;\nin relation to the Natural Resources Body for Wales, the Welsh Ministers;\n“the catchment areas of the rivers Dee, Wye and Severn” has the meaning given by article 1(3) of the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999;\n“conservancy authority” has the meaning given by section 221(1) of the 1991 Act;\n“costs” includes—\ncosts to any person; and\ncosts to the environment;\n“disposal authority”—\nin the application of this Part in relation to the Agency, has the same meaning as it has in Part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 by virtue of section 30(1) of that Act; and\nin the application of this Part in relation to SEPA, has the meaning assigned to it by section 30(2) of that Act;\n“the environment” means all, or any, of the following media, namely, the air, water and land (and the medium of air includes the air within buildings and the air within other natural or man-made structures above or below ground);\n“environmental licence”, in the application of this Part in relation to an appropriate agency, means any of the following—\nregistration of a person as a carrier of controlled waste under section 2 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989,\na permit granted by the appropriate agency under—\nregulations made under section 2 of the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999, other than the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/925) and the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3038),\nregulations made under section 61 of the Water Act 2014.\nan authorisation under Part I of the 1990 Act, other than any such authorisation granted by a local enforcing authority,\n...\na licence under Chapter II of Part II of the 1991 Act,\n...\n...\n...\nregistration of a person as a broker of or dealer in controlled waste under assimilated law which, in England and Wales, implemented Article 26(b) of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste, as last amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851,\nregistration under Schedule 2 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1154) of an establishment or undertaking in relation to a waste operation (within the meaning of those Regulations),\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\nso far as having effect in relation to England and Wales;\n“environmental licence”, in the application of this Part in relation to SEPA, means any of the following—\n...\n...\nan authorisation under regulations under section 18 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014,\n...\nan authorisation under Part I of the 1990 Act,\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\n...\nso far as having effect in relation to Scotland;\n...\n“flood defence functions”, in relation to an appropriate agency, has the same meaning as in the 1991 Act;\n“harbour authority” has the meaning given by section 221(1) of the 1991 Act;\n“local authority”, in the application of this Part in relation to SEPA, means a district or islands council in Scotland;\n“the Minister” means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food;\n“the Ministers” means the Secretary of State and the Minister;\n“navigation authority” has the meaning given by section 221(1) of the 1991 Act;\n“new Agency” means the Agency or SEPA;\n“river purification authority” means a river purification authority within the meaning of the 1951 Act;\n“river purification board” means a river purification board established by virtue of section 135 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973;\n“the transfer date” means such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint as the transfer date for the purposes of this Part; and different dates may be appointed for the purposes of this Part—\nas it applies for or in connection with transfers under or by virtue of Chapter I above, and\nas it applies for or in connection with transfers under or by virtue of Chapter II above;\n“waste regulation authority”—\nin the application of this Part in relation to the Agency, means any authority in England or Wales which, by virtue of section 30(1) of the 1990 Act, is a waste regulation authority for the purposes of Part II of that Act; and\nin the application of this Part in relation to SEPA, means any council which, by virtue of section 30(1)(g) of the 1990 Act, is a waste regulation authority for the purposes of Part II of that Act.\n(2) In relation to any time on or after 1st April 1996—\n(a) subsection (1) above shall have effect as if, in the definition of “local authority”, for the words “district or islands council in Scotland” there were substituted the words “council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994”; and\n(b) in section 22(3)(a)(iv) above the reference to an islands council shall be construed as a reference to a council mentioned in section 3(1) of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.\n(3) Where by virtue of any provision of this Part any function of a Minister of the Crown is exercisable concurrently by different Ministers, that function shall also be exercisable jointly by any two or more of those Ministers.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (S.) (1.4.2006) by virtue of The Water Environment (Consequential and Savings Provisions) (Scotland) Order 2006 (S.S.I. 2006/181), sch. Pt. 4 para. 8(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 375(2) (with Sch. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) inserted (18.7.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Consequential Provision) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1821), arts. 1(2), 30 (with art. 24)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) repealed (S.) (30.6.2014) by Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (asp 3), s. 61(2), sch. 3 para. 29(4); S.S.I. 2014/160, art. 2(1)(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Definition of “the environment” in s. 56(1) substituted (21.3.2000 (E.W.) and 29.9.2000 (S.)) by 1999 c. 24, s. 6(1), Sch. 2 para. 17; S.I. 2000/800, art. 2; S.S.I. 2000/322, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 375(3) (with Sch. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (E.W.) (6.4.2016) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/475), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 3(2) (with regs. 31-33)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Environment (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/458), regs. 1(1), 3(5)(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) repealed (1.4.2015 for S.) by Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 (c. 24), s. 7(3), Sch. 3; S.S.I. 2015/74, art. 2(2)(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) repealed (6.4.2008) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/3538), reg. 1(1)(b), Sch. 21 para. 23(2)(a), Sch. 23 (with reg. 72, Sch. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2010) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/675), reg. 1(1)(b), Sch. 26 para. 13(4), Sch. 28 (with reg. 1(2), Sch. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (E.W.) (29.3.2011) by The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/988), reg. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 4(3) (with regs. 2, 47(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Environment (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/458), regs. 1(1), 3(5)(a)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Word in s. 56(1) substituted (1.1.2024) by The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1424), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 36(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) inserted (E.W.) (29.3.2019) by The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Miscellaneous Amendments etc.) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/526), regs. 1(2), 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (1.10.2020) by The Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/904), regs. 1(1), 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (6.4.2010) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3381), regs. 1(1)(b), 13(3) (with regs. 1(2), 16(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (E.W.) (1.1.2017) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1154), reg. 1(1), Sch. 29 Pt. 1 para. 13(3) (with regs. 1(3), 77-79, Sch. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F19",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) substituted (24.1.2022 for specified purposes, 7.3.2022 for W. for specified purposes, 9.11.2022 for S. for specified purposes) by Environment Act 2021 (c. 30), s. 64(3)(a)(i) (with s. 144); S.I. 2022/48, reg. 2(l); S.I. 2022/223, regs. 1(2), 2(c); S.S.I. 2022/305, reg. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F20",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Charging Schemes) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2788), regs. 1, 7(a)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F21",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (24.1.2022 for specified purposes, 7.3.2022 for W. for specified purposes, 9.11.2022 for S. for specified purposes) by virtue of Environment Act 2021 (c. 30), s. 64(3)(a)(ii) (with s. 144); S.I. 2022/48, reg. 2(l); S.I. 2022/223, regs. 1(2), 2(c); S.S.I. 2022/305, reg. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F22",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (S.) (1.4.2006) by virtue of The Water Environment (Consequential and Savings Provisions) (Scotland) Order 2006 (S.S.I. 2006/181), sch. Pt. 4 para. 8(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F23",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (S.) (1.11.2025) by virtue of The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/165), reg. 1(2), sch. 22 para. 5(3) (with sch. 23)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F24",
      "text": "Words in s. 56 inserted (S.) (30.6.2014) by Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (asp 3), s. 61(2), sch. 3 para. 5(2); S.S.I. 2014/160, art. 2(1)(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F25",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) repealed (S.) (1.9.2018) by The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (S.S.I. 2018/219), reg. 1, sch. 7 para. 1 (with reg. 78, sch. 5 para. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F26",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (24.1.2022 for specified purposes, 7.3.2022 for W. for specified purposes, 9.11.2022 for S. for specified purposes) by virtue of Environment Act 2021 (c. 30), s. 64(3)(b) (with s. 144); S.I. 2022/48, reg. 2(l); S.I. 2022/223, regs. 1(2), 2(c); S.S.I. 2022/305, reg. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F27",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Environment (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/458), regs. 1(1), 3(5)(c); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1990 c. 43."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1991 c. 57."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M3",
      "text": "1974 c. 40."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M4",
      "text": "1989 c. 14."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M5",
      "text": "1973 c. 65."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M6",
      "text": "1994 c. 39."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2026/873",
      "affecting_title": "The Environmental Permitting (Waste Controlling or Transporting) and Relevant Functions of Primary Authorities (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/25/section/56",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:14:49.082172+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}