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1107787

	registered interest
	date	29/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to strengthen regulations to prevent developers and landowners putting netting on hedgerows.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	238587
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2019 answer text <p>Wild birds are protected by law and therefore any development project must consider the impact on local wildlife and take precautionary action to protect their habitats. The revised National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising the impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity. The Government has announced plans to require developers to deliver biodiversity net gain through the forthcoming Environment Bill. This will mean habitats for wildlife must be left in a measurably better state than they were before any development.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 03/04/2019 14:35:04 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1110733

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect hedgerow environments.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	uin	242911
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>Legal protection for hedgerows is provided by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. These regulations prohibit the removal of most or parts of countryside hedgerows without first seeking approval from the local planning authority, which is required to decide whether a hedgerow is “important” because of its wildlife, landscape, historical (i.e. more than 30 years old) or archaeological value and as such should not be removed.</p><p> </p><p>Land managers in receipt of Basic Payment Scheme payments are also required to protect hedgerows on their land and through our agri-environment schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship, we further recognise their valuable role by funding the management of hedgerows to deliver recognised benefits for wildlife, landscape and the historic environment.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 15/04/2019 12:50:52 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1110734

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the netting of hedgerows.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	uin	242912
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>Guidance from MHCLG is already in place regarding netting with respect to development.</p><p> </p><p>The use of netting to exclude birds from potential nesting sites is justified in certain circumstances, for example when protecting crops or restricting pest species’ access to buildings.</p><p> </p><p>However, we all have a responsibility to our local environment and we would expect those using netting to do so only when truly necessary and in compliance with the relevant legislation.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 16/04/2019 15:14:18 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1125264

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect hedgerows as habitats for wildlife; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	251892
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 15 April 2019 to PQ 242911.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 13/05/2019 09:27:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1130092

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of netting hedgerows on nesting birds.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	260592
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Although the Government has not undertaken this specific assessment, we closely monitor trends in bird populations. These trends have long been considered to provide a good indication of the broad state of our wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>In November last year, the Government published <em>Wild Bird Populations in England, 1970 to 2017</em>. Overall, this showed that the combined all-species index has changed little compared with around 45 years ago. However, there was much variation in numbers between species, with some species increasing and some species decreasing.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 10:46:00 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1130093

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect and conserve hedgerows.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	260593
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 15 April 2019 to PQ 242911.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 10:32:05 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1130094

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to include stronger regulation on the netting of hedgerows.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	260594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>There are no plans to review regulations governing the netting of bird nesting places, as it is enforcement that is required rather than new regulations.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 16:18:13 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1195980

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2020
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) the environment, and (2) road safety, of the cutting of roadside verges and hedges in English local authority areas since 2015; and whether they have plans for a review of these practices.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL4526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/06/2020 answer text <p>Our roadside verges and hedges can provide a rich refuge for plants and for the pollinators and other wildlife they support. The responsibility for managing England’s strategic road network falls to Highways England and the local road network to local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>All public bodies, including Highways England and local authorities, have a legal duty under the 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act to have regard to conserving biodiversity when exercising their functions. Management of road verges, hedgerows and other green spaces to support wildflowers, pollinators and other wildlife is one way in which public bodies can discharge this duty, although those public bodies also have to ensure public safety.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Roads Liaison Group’s Code of Practice on Well Managed Highway Infrastructure recommends that authorities manage highway verges, trees and landscaped areas with regard to their nature conservation value and biodiversity principles as well as whole-life costing, highway safety and serviceability.</p><p> </p><p>Many public bodies are already taking action to enhance biodiversity along public roads. Highways England’s Biodiversity Action Plan sets out its approach to promoting biodiversity while balancing this with safety on the strategic road network. A number of local authorities are also working with conservation groups such as the local Wildlife Trust to plan and implement biodiversity enhancements alongside roads.</p><p> </p><p>Defra, alongside our external partners and other Government departments, regularly reviews the evidence on the value to wildlife of roadside verges and hedges, and strongly encourages positive management that balances wildlife and safety.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 01/06/2020 10:43:05 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

1221910

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2020
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 to strengthen protections for mature hedgerows of less than 30 years of age.
	tabling member constituency	The Wrekin
	tabling member printed	Mark Pritchard
	uin	71017
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2020 answer text <p>Under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 a hedgerow is deemed ‘important’, and is protected, if it is at least 30 years old. Although there is local variation, research has indicated that, nationally, over 70% of hedgerows in England and Wales are 'important' according to the criteria in the Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>The Regulations therefore play a valuable role in providing statutory protection for a large proportion of hedgerows in the countryside, with the risk of removal now extremely low compared with when the Regulations came into effect. We consider that the current level of statutory protection remains appropriate and have no plans to amend the Regulations.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/07/2020 15:01:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1576 label Biography information for Mark Pritchard

1315077

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hedges and Ditches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the environmental and biodiversity gains of promoting the planting of hedgerows.
	tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
	tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
	uin	2491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>Analysis carried out by ADAS consultants in 2020 showed planting hedgerows has a range of environmental gains, including positive impacts on biodiversity, landscape character and protection from, and mitigation of environmental hazards.</p><p> </p><p>Recent reports and research from Natural England and Defra have further evidenced that hedgerows can deliver habitat and resources for a range of important wildlife, support ecosystem services, and sequester and store carbon.</p><p> </p><p>In England, the Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) schemes are currently our primary tools in delivering environmentally beneficial hedgerow management and hedgerow creation, which support the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Hedgerow management is one of the most popular options within the CS scheme.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 20/05/2021 15:29:51 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie