Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1701722

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	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	Swifts: Conservation
	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 adequacy of the conservation status of the swift.
	tabling member constituency	Camborne and Redruth
	tabling member printed	George Eustice
	uin	22288
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK swift population is estimated at 59,000 pairs (2016) Swift population trends are monitored annually by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which recorded a decline of 62% between 1995 and 2021, and of 40% between 2011 and 2021. Due to the declines recorded by BBS, swifts were added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK in 2021 and are considered ‘Endangered’ at GB level.</p><p>Natural England is currently undertaking a review of the conservation interventions needed to support the recovery of over 100 of our most threatened bird species, including the swift.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 24/04/2024 14:54:10 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3934 label Biography information for George Eustice

1701723

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	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	Horticulture: Peat
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 10078 on Horticulture: Peat, what (a) legal and (b) other advice he has received on the suitability of powers provided by section 53 and schedule 7 of the Environment Act 2021 in providing an appropriate legislative vehicle for restricting the sale of horticultural peat.
	tabling member constituency	Camborne and Redruth
	tabling member printed	George Eustice
	uin	22289
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 2 February 2024, PQ 10078.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 24/04/2024 13:37:15 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3934 label Biography information for George Eustice

1701948

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	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	Wildlife: Conservation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of new wildlife habitats have been (a) created and (b) restored since 31 January 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
	tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
	uin	22439
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>We do not currently have an estimate for habitat created and restored in 2023, the first year of the target.</p><p> </p><p>Data on habitat created and restored is not usually available by year end. We expect there to be a two-year lag before having a 'complete' count due to the time taken for data to be reported and the quality assurance process.</p><p> </p><p>In April, we published information about actions that will count toward our statutory habitat target, the list of wildlife rich habitats, and definitions of restoration and creation (available <a href="https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6427187599900672" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><p> </p><p>We are currently working with Natural England to set up a formal reporting system for monitoring progress towards our statutory habitat target.</p><p> </p><p>While we establish this formal reporting system, we are looking at whether we can collect a subset of data from Defra Group delivery mechanisms for ad hoc interim reporting.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/04/2024 15:31:29 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1701952

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	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	Recreation Spaces and Water
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of the population have access to (a) green space and (b) water within 15 minutes walk from home.
	tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
	tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
	uin	22443
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>The data we currently use on the number and proportion of people with access to greenspace is taken from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework analysis. Natural England’s G3 Indicator report shows that as of October 2021, the proportions of the total population in England living within Accessible Greenspace Standards ‘criteria’ (straight line distances from the boundary of the greenspaces) are:</p><p> </p><p>• 1 in 3 people live within 200 metres of a doorstep greenspace of at least 0.5 hectares</p><p>• 1 in 4 people live within 300 metres of a local natural greenspace of at least 2 hectares</p><p>• 1 in 2 people live within 1 km of a neighbourhood natural greenspace of at least 10 hectares.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently working to establish a robust baseline of walkability to green and blue space, including working with NE and with the Rivers Trust to create data on blue space access points. In August we will publish an official statistic in development on walkability within England to the nearest green space. This will use network analysis to calculate travel time/distance rather than straight-line distances, and enhanced use of data on the rights-of-way network. For full details see <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fannouncements%2Faccess-to-green-space-in-england&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C93a1eb1daf5340966ca808dc5fb38bf9%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638490471947068177%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=bjtw1okd95IMoeOUg1YpNBZeCsiQGP1qPbNwrBJ60E8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/access-to-green-space-in-england</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/04/2024 14:26:21 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1701267

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Marine Environment: Investment
	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 support private investment in ocean recovery.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	21935
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2024 answer text <p>Ocean conservation and the protection of marine biodiversity is a global challenge and one that is critically underfunded. Through the UK’s £500m UK aid Blue Planet Fund and in line with the 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity and the International Development White Paper, we are supporting innovative projects that aim to attract and scale up private investment in ocean recovery. These initiatives include restoration and protection of blue carbon habitats and increasing coastal community resilience, funded through programmes led by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (£13.9m), the World Bank’s sustainable blue economies programme- PROBLUE (£37.5m), and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (£33m), amongst others. In June 2023, Lord Benyon hosted a joint UK-GFCR Investors Roundtable event, which showcased the GFCR as a viable investment opportunity and supported investor mobilisation for the GFCR Investment fund. At 28th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28), the GFCR Coalition announced the mobilisation of more than $200 million USD as an initial direct investment toward the newly established 2030 Coral Reef Breakthrough targets, these include mobilising $12bn for corals and protecting 125,000 km2 of corals (50% of ~250,000km2 global total) by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in Mobilising Green Investment: 2023 Green Finance Strategy, we are also taking action to meet our target to raise £1bn in private finance into nature’s recovery in England every year by 2030, both on land and at sea.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/04/2024 13:43:58 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1701268

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Marine Environment
	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 (a) preserve and (b) expand blue carbon habitats.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	21936
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role that blue carbon habitats such as saltmarsh and seagrass can play in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. These richly biodiverse habitats also provide a crucial buffer from coastal flooding, benefit fish stocks and improve local water quality.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is a global leader in ocean protection and we have taken a number of steps to support blue carbon habitats. In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. MPAs are intended to protect designated features listed within the MPA target. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. The first three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats. Defra is exploring identifying additional candidate HPMA sites.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative is working to restore seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reefs. Working in partnership with environmental non-government organisations, industry, community groups, and academia, the initiative aims to identify innovative funding opportunities, streamline regulatory processes, build capacity and share knowledge with partners to facilitate a larger programme of restoration.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps that currently prevent the inclusion of blue carbon habitats in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI). Inclusion of these habitats in the GHGI will allow blue carbon to be marketed and traded as a carbon offset, leveraging private investment into these vital natural carbon stores.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/04/2024 12:45:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1701324

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Biodiversity: Lincolnshire
	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 help reverse biodiversity loss in Lincolnshire.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	21877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>In England we have set four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. These targets will drive actions to support biodiversity in Lincolnshire and every other area across England.</p><p> </p><p>We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64a6d9c1c531eb000c64fffa/environmental-improvement-plan-2023.pdf" target="_blank">Environmental Improvement Plan</a> (EIP23) published 31 January 2023. Here we link the different objectives, plans and mechanisms for recovering nature.</p><p> </p><p>Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are being prepared across the whole of England to support the delivery of these targets. The 48 strategies are bringing together local partners to agree priorities and propose practical actions in areas where they would have the most benefit for nature recovery and the wider environment. Preparation of the Greater Lincolnshire LNRS is being led by Lincolnshire County Council, with support from local planning authorities in the area and Natural England.</p><p> </p><p>The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve (NNR) was declared in September 2023. The newly expanded NNR will enhance the nature and biodiversity of the Greater Lincolnshire coast making it a bigger, better and more joined up area for wildlife, through bringing together the Donna Nook and Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes Nature Reserves and adding a further 2350 hectares of land managed for nature conservation. The reserve supports many breeding and over-wintering birds, natterjack toads, special plants and insects.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the Environment Agency is working with partners to deliver the Upper Witham River and floodplain restoration projects (currently shortlisted for the River Restoration Centre award). Over the last 10 years, habitat along 19.4 km of river has been enhanced with 19 projects: from urban habitat improvement in Grantham, to large scale river and wetland restoration in rural areas.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/04/2024 16:11:47 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1701332

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Swifts: Conservation
	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 designate the swift as a species of bird which re-uses its nest under Schedule ZA1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
	tabling member constituency	Camborne and Redruth
	tabling member printed	George Eustice
	uin	21967
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 21968 question first answered 23/04/2024 17:29:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3934 label Biography information for George Eustice

1701333

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Swifts: Conservation
	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 designate the swift under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on birds which are protected by special penalties.
	tabling member constituency	Camborne and Redruth
	tabling member printed	George Eustice
	uin	21968
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 21967 question first answered 23/04/2024 17:29:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3934 label Biography information for George Eustice

1700836

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Recreation Spaces
	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 data his Department holds on the number and proportion of people who have access to a good quality (a) green and (b) blue space within 15 minutes' walk of their home, by parliamentary constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Suffolk Coastal
	tabling member printed	Dr Thérèse Coffey
	uin	21639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2024 answer text <p>The methodology and data we currently use on the number and proportion of people with access to greenspace is taken from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework analysis.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England’s analyses of the total population in England living in close proximity of greenspace are based on the GI Framework’s Accessible Greenspace Standards which use buffers (straight-line distances) between home and greenspace and include three greenspace criteria:</p><ul><li>People living within 200m of a doorstep greenspace of at least 0.5ha</li><li>People living within 300m of a local natural greenspace of at least 2ha</li><li>People living within 1km of a neighbourhood natural greenspace of at least 10ha</li></ul><p> </p><p>When considered together, these three most local Accessible Greenspace Standards buffers allow us to form a composite picture of access to different sizes of greenspace within a straight-line distance of 1km from home.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England’s G3 Indicator report shows that as of October 2021, the proportions of the total population in England living within Accessible Greenspace Standards ‘criteria’ (straight line distances from the boundary of the greenspaces) are:</p><p>• 1 in 3 people live within 200 metres of a doorstep greenspace of at least 0.5 hectares.</p><p>• 1 in 4 people live within 300 metres of a local natural greenspace of at least 2 hectares.</p><p>• 1 in 2 people live within 1 km of a neighbourhood natural greenspace of at least 10 hectares.</p><p> </p><p>Our Environmental Improvement Plan commitment to ensure everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space focuses on proximity to these spaces from home. Our data gathering therefore focuses on this, rather than by parliamentary constituency.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently working to establish a robust baseline of walkability to green and blue space, including working with NE and with the Rivers Trust to create data on blue space access points. In August we will publish an official statistic in development on walkability within England to the nearest green space. This will use network analysis to calculate travel time/ distance rather than straight-line distances, and enhanced use of data on the rights-of-way network. For full details see <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fannouncements%2Faccess-to-green-space-in-england&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C7f242f319c144c40b1fc08dc5ed77a0e%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638489526760120750%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q79cuo%2BdtGQS1tvXUFzsTyxX5KgVtmGD5y2J%2B2IO1vE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/access-to-green-space-in-england</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 21640 question first answered 19/04/2024 13:29:55 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey