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1130540

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution that green bridges make to biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261183
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Green bridges are structures designed to provide wildlife and non-motorised users with easy and safe crossing of main roads and railways.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, Natural England published a review of the literature on green bridges. The review looked at 53 case studies from Europe and North America and found evidence that, in the majority of cases, green bridges were utilised by wildlife, although an assessment of their effectiveness in conserving wildlife populations was limited by the lack of long-term monitoring data. Guidance on the design of green bridges was also published by the Landscape Institute based on research undertaken by Natural England.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, the Government published research which included an assessment of the A21 Scotney Caste Green Bridge, constructed by the then Highways Agency, which found that of all incidences of bats crossing the road to and from the Scotney Castle Estate, 97 per cent used the green bridge. At least five bat species were recorded foraging over the bridge which was also used by deer, badger and breeding dormice.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will keep the evidence for the effectiveness of these structures under review as new green bridges are planned and implemented.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 11:08:13 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1130541

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which key performance indicators his Department uses to assess progress in improving the UK’s biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261184
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter. The UK government has a range of performance indicators for England, although we do also work with the devolved administrations to compile indicators at UK scale for international reporting.</p><p> </p><p>In June 2019 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan-may-2018" target="_blank">Single Departmental Plan</a> which includes biodiversity performance indicators for England, including: extent of marine protected areas and condition of protected sites and priority habitat.</p><p> </p><p>In May of this year, the Government published a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan" target="_blank">new indicator framework</a> for the 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out a transparent, comprehensive framework that shows how the environment in England is changing and whether it is improving over time. These indicators include diversity and health of our seas, wildlife and wild places, and nature on land and water.</p><p> </p><p>To support reporting of progress across the whole of the UK, the government publishes a set of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/biodiversity-indicators-for-the-uk" target="_blank">UK Biodiversity Indicators,</a> updated annually. These measure long term trends in the UK’s biodiversity and progress against our international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 09:52:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1045942

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date his Department plans to publish the UK's sixth national report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	211141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK’s sixth national report will set out the UK’s progress towards the goals and targets set out in the global strategic plan for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). A draft report has been prepared and is in the final stages of internal review prior to submission and publication. We aim to submit to the CBD in the first quarter of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is committed to being the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and we are committed to leading action globally on halting the loss of biodiversity, including under the Convention on Biological Diversity.</p><p> </p><p>We have undertaken consultation and review by specialists in the Government, NGO and academic sector to ensure the report is based on best available evidence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 211219 question first answered 28/01/2019 17:21:46 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1010181

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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
	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 recent assessment his Department has made of the global rate of biodiversity loss; and what effect that assessment has had on the formulation of his Department's policies.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	192825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>The UK is a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a global endeavour to halt biodiversity loss. As a party to the CBD, the UK collaborates in assessments of biodiversity change, which are published in the Global Biodiversity Outlook series, the flagship publication of the CBD. As such, the government does not do its own assessment of the global rate of biodiversity loss, but it does an assessment of biodiversity loss in this country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK is also a member of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which in March adopted four regional assessments that evaluate biodiversity and ecosystems services. These assessments provide vital evidence on which to make informed decisions balancing the needs of people and nature in four world regions. In May 2019 the Platform will adopt a new global synthesis of the state of nature and ecosystems, the first such report since the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was published in 2005.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 27/11/2018 17:11:47 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1054567

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	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 slow biodiversity loss in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	216362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>In England we are investing in our protected sites, in the restoration and creation of wildlife-rich habitats and in species recovery.</p><p> </p><p>At sea, we are expanding our protected areas. Twelve Special Protection Areas have been designated since 2017, with more under consideration. Last summer we consulted on an ambitious third tranche of 41 Marine Conservation Zones, to be designated later this year.</p><p> </p><p>On land, around 94% of our protected sites, covering over 1 million hectares, are now in good condition or have management in place to restore their condition. We have established management to create approximately 130,000 hectares of additional wildlife-rich habitat since the publication of <em>Biodiversity 2020 </em>in 2011.</p><p> </p><p>In the last two years we have announced new funding for peatland restoration and tree planting. In April 2018, £10 million of funding for peatland restoration was allocated to four large-scale peatland restoration projects in England. Additionally, in the 2018 Budget, the Chancellor announced £60 million for new woodland creation through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee and Urban Trees Challenge Fund.</p><p> </p><p>Our agencies are working on a range of species recovery projects with landowning and conservation partners, for example on freshwater pearl mussel, short-haired bumblebee and stone curlew. We also protect a wide variety of our most threatened native species through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation 2017. These laws make it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or capture listed species, as well as damage or destroy breeding sites.</p><p> </p><p>Our 25 Year Environment Plan steps up our ambition further, setting long-term goals for recovering nature and setting out over two hundred actions to enhance the environment.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 07/02/2019 10:57:31 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1077291

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	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 7 February 2019 to Question 216362 on Biodiversity, how much funding his Department has allocated to each organisation in relation to reducing biodiversity loss in each year since 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	225567
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not allocate funding specifically for reducing biodiversity loss. Funding is allocated to Defra non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and executive agencies in order to support their functions including biodiversity conservation. It is for those bodies to allocate resources to programmes aimed at tackling biodiversity loss.</p><p> </p><p>Funding allocated to NDPBs and executive agencies is only a small proportion of the Government funding for biodiversity. For example, funding for agri-environment and forestry agreements, and for marine biodiversity also address biodiversity conservation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 28/02/2019 10:07:07 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1077295

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	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 legislative proposals his Department plans to bring forward to address the decline in biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	225571
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2019 answer text <p>We are taking action through our widely welcomed Ivory Act to support the conservation of elephants. We will launch a call for evidence in the coming months on extending the ban on UK ivory sales to other ivory-bearing species.</p><p>Our forthcoming Environment Bill will include ambitious legislative measures to take direct action to restore and enhance nature. Subject to consultation, we will legislate on biodiversity net gain to ensure that new developments have a positive effect on the environment. We will also consider proposals for conservation covenants. In terms of trees, we will take action to stop illegal deforestation and deliver on our manifesto commitment to ensure councils consult if they are removing street trees. This will give the public a greater say in street tree management.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 04/03/2019 15:43:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

884926

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2018
	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
	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 outcomes of the 2018 Plenary meeting of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	135914
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2018 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The sixth Plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) met in Medellin, Colombia between 17 and 24 March.</p><p> </p><p>Five new assessments were adopted – four Regional Assessments on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (for Africa; the Americas; Asia-Pacific; and Europe and Central Asia) and a thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration. UK scientists have been at the forefront of delivering these assessments. Thirteen leading UK scientists worked on the assessment for Europe and Central Asia.</p><p> </p><p>The assessments will feed into a global synopsis called Global Biodiversity Outlook to be finalised in 2019 and this will inform future targets and action under the Convention on Biological Diversity. We are determined to play a lead role in the development of an ambitious international biodiversity strategy under the Convention.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/04/2018 11:28:34 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1002713

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2018
	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
	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 spent on biodiversity conservation in (a) England and (b) the UK Overseas Territories in each of the last three financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
	tabling member printed	Layla Moran
	uin	188902
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Defra spend on biodiversity in England was £278m in 2015/16; and £258m in 2016/17. Figures for 2017/18 are still being compiled for publication, and should be available in July 2019 as part of our update of our Biodiversity Indicators.</p><p>These figures include a proportion of the total expenditure on agri-environment schemes (55% – the proportion that is assessed to directly contribute to biodiversity outcomes specifically). They also include expenditure by Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission on managing the public estate, advice, research and monitoring.</p><p>This is likely to be an underestimate as spend on biodiversity is integrated into a wide range of Departmental programmes that support multiple outcomes. For example, the figures do not include all spend on marine and fisheries. In 2018/19 £21m will be spent on activities that contribute to the conservation of marine biodiversity. In addition to this, much of the Department’s work to improve the sustainability of our fisheries will also contribute to improving marine biodiversity.</p><p>The main source of Departmental funding for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) is through Darwin Plus, also known as “The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund”. Defra’s contribution to Darwin Plus funding in the last three years is as follows: £1.85 million in 2015/16; £2 million in 2016/17; £2 million in 2017/18. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development also contribute.</p><p>Defra leads on a number of environmental protection projects under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) but these are funded and administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 10:59:33 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

860760

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2018
	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
	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 estimate he has made of the amount of funding that was available from the Heritage Lottery Fund for projects that promote biodiversity in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
	tabling member constituency	Wakefield
	tabling member printed	Mary Creagh
	uin	132117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2018 answer text <p>The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) does not isolate funding specifically for biodiversity. In 2015/16 the HLF invested £88 million in projects supporting the UK’s land and nature. In 2016/17, HLF’s investment was £101.7 million.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 15/03/2018 11:19:20 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1579 label Biography information for Mary Creagh