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1129113

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Nature 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, what steps he is taking to ensure developers in England enhance habitats for wildlife.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	259278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The 25 Year Environment Plan set out the Government’s ambitions for thriving plants and wildlife. We have committed to embedding a net gain approach to development, strengthened the National Planning Policy Framework to make it clear that all development within its scope should achieve net gains for biodiversity and consulted on proposals to mandate biodiversity net gain for development. We will use the forthcoming Environment Bill to legislate for mandatory biodiversity net gain in the planning system. A mandatory approach will provide a consistent framework for the development sector to contribute to the provision and enhancement of habitats for wildlife.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:19:42 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1127320

registered interest
date	17/05/2019
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	Nature 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, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of measures to protect wildlife habitats in the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Gedling
tabling member printed	Vernon Coaker
uin	255654
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>Our published draft Environment (Principles and Governance) clauses form part of our broader Environment Bill.</p><p> </p><p>The draft clauses set out the environmental principles and the creation of a policy statement together with a new system of green governance for when we leave the EU.</p><p> </p><p>Further measures being planned for the Environment Bill will help us take action to enhance our environment, including wildlife habitats.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 29/05/2019 13:00:49 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	360 label Biography information for Lord Coaker

1109526

registered interest
date	03/04/2019
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	Nature 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, what steps he is taking to (a) halt and (b) reverse species decline in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	240631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only, except in relation to our plans internationally.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government is taking a range of steps to both halt and reverse species decline.</p><p> </p><p>We 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 agencies and non-Departmental bodies are working on species recovery projects with landowning and conservation partners, for example on freshwater pearl mussel, short-haired bumblebee and stone curlew.</p><p> </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 200 actions to enhance the environment including developing a Nature Recovery Network which will provide an expanding and increasingly connected network of places for wildlife to thrive. Our National Pollinator Strategy sets out actions to tackle risks to insect populations, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, pests and disease and climate change. We are supporting science-led restrictions on neonicotinoids, have introduced agri-environment packages to support farmers to put wild flowers back into fields, and continue to tackle threats from invasive species such as the Asian hornet. We have also consulted on an ambitious third tranche of 41 Marine Conservation Zones. Sites to be designated in this tranche will be announced and in place by 7 June.</p><p> </p><p>The ongoing declines in nature are a global problem that need a global solution. That is why the UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing a global post-2020 framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity that is ambitious and transformational. Our Darwin Initiative supports global action by providing grants to protect biodiversity and the natural environment, with £10.6 million awarded in 2018. Defra has contributed almost £6 million over the last three years to Darwin Plus for Overseas Territories’ biodiversity. We continue to support activities to end poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, and have recently passed new legislation to close our domestic ivory market, which will be the toughest ivory ban in Europe and one of the toughest in the world. The UK Government has committed to protecting the ocean and has called for at least 30 per cent of the ocean to be in Marine Protected Areas by 2030.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 08/04/2019 14:51:34 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1086782

registered interest
date	11/03/2019
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	Nature 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 much his Department has spent in restoring British endangered species in each if the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Workington
tabling member printed	Sue Hayman
uin	230847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England runs a Species Recovery Programme which directly supports research and action to recover endangered or threatened species. Funding allocations for the Programme were £873,000, £737,000 and £777,000 in the years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>This is only a small proportion of the Government’s expenditure on threatened species. Species conservation is integrated into funding programmes for protected sites, agri-environment schemes and wider investment in wildlife-rich habitats and ecosystems.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s agencies and non-departmental bodies also work with a range of partners to support the recovery of threatened species. Natural England is working with a range of conservation organisations on the externally funded Back from the Brink programme to protect threatened species and their habitats. The Environment Agency is working with partners to support the conservation of freshwater priority species such as the freshwater pearl mussel and salmon.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/03/2019 10:08:15 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

1078754

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
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	Nature 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, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of conservation covenants for nature and wildlife.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	226629
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan commits us to assess the demand and potential for conservation covenants to secure long-term benefits for nature and to work with stakeholders to review and take forward the Law Commission proposals for a statutory scheme in England.</p><p> </p><p>The Law Commission had reviewed the evidence for their use and effectiveness in other countries and undertook a consultation exercise in 2013 to determine if they could be effective and should be introduced here. It concluded that conservation covenants had the potential to deliver lasting conservation benefits for nature and wildlife, as well as other outcomes. A copy of its report can be found at <a href="https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/conservation-covenants" target="_blank">https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/conservation-covenants</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government opened a consultation on 22 February on conservation covenants. The consultation seeks views on the potential effectiveness of covenants in securing benefits for nature. We will review the responses once the consultation closes. The consultation can be found at</p><p><a href="https://consult.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-management/conservation-covenants/" target="_blank">https://consult.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-management/conservation-covenants/</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 08/03/2019 15:09:05 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1077515

registered interest
date	26/02/2019
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	Nature 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, whether he has plans to preserve rare and native breeds by categorising genetic resources as public goods.
tabling member constituency	South Suffolk
tabling member printed	James Cartlidge
uin	226184
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2019 answer text <p>The Agriculture Bill sets out an ambitious future for farming outside of the EU, moving towards a system where public money is invested in things which the public value, in particular protecting and enhancing our environment. Public goods include clean air, clean and plentiful water, and thriving plants and wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>Farmers and land managers can deliver these public goods through managing their assets. Genetic resources are an important asset. For example, preserving genetic resources can strengthen pest and disease resilience which contributes towards improving the health and welfare of livestock (clause 1(1)(f) of Agriculture Bill). Similarly, grazing native, local breeds in upland areas can contribute towards enhancement of our cultural and natural heritage (clause 1(1)(c) of Agriculture Bill).</p><p><em> </em></p><p>The financial assistance powers in clause 1(1) and 1(2) in the Agriculture Bill could be used to support genetic resources where this contributes to the delivery of the purpose set out in the clause.</p><p><em> </em></p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 04/03/2019 12:06:44 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge

1042204

registered interest
date	16/01/2019
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	Nature Conservation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the protection of endangered species.
tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
tabling member printed	Mr Ranil Jayawardena
uin	908630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>Ministers regularly meet with the Foreign Secretary to discuss international species conservation issues. Our close working delivered the highly successful Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London in October last year, which brought together global leaders to drive forward action to end this despicable trade. Our ban on ivory sales through the Ivory Act is one of the toughest in the world and demonstrates our joint leadership to galvanise action around the world.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 17/01/2019 16:14:23 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena

1002214

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Nature Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what acreage of land in England is owned by conservation bodies; and which bodies own such acreage.
tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
uin	HL11235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Natural England is the statutory nature conservation body in England.</p><p> </p><p>There are currently 224 National Nature Reserves (NNRs) in England, with an approximate area of 94,000 hectares. Natural England manages in whole or in part 143 NNRs, with a total area of approximately 65,000 hectares. Of these, Natural England owns about 20,000 hectares, leases about 30,000 hectares, and manages about 15,000 hectares under Nature Reserve Agreements. The remainder are managed by 53 'Approved Bodies' (organisations approved by Natural England to manage NNRs under Section 35 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981). Almost all NNRs are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) (over 99% by area) and 84% is designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA), or both.</p><p> </p><p>Defra does not hold information on individual land ownership outside the government estate, although many environmental non-government organisations are open about the size of their land holdings. For example, the National Trust and the RSPB, both of whom own significant area of land, publish data and maps of their reserve boundaries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>The public forest estate in England, which is managed by Forest Enterprise England (an executive agency sponsored by the Forestry Commission), covers over 250,000 hectares and is managed for multiple purposes, including conservation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 12/11/2018 14:41:07 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

994621

registered interest
date	25/10/2018
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	Nature 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, with reference to the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan, what provision there is for short-term protection of (a) bats and (b) other species with life spans of five to eight years; and what steps he plans to take to increase protection for mature hedgerows from developers.
tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
uin	183899
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2018 answer text <p>A wide variety of species are afforded protection under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017) and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including all species of bat found in this country. All listed species are covered irrespective of their expected lifespan, which is not a criterion in identifying the need for protection of a species.</p><p> </p><p>Legal protection for hedgerows is provided by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. These regulations prohibit the removal of most countryside hedgerows (or parts of them) 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> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 02/11/2018 14:33:23 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

899973

registered interest
date	08/05/2018
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	Nature Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering a change to the protection afforded to Local Wildlife Sites; if so, why; and what assessment they have made of the effect of reduced protection for such sites.
tabling member printed	Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
uin	HL7636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting Local Wildlife Sites and is not considering a change in the protection afforded to them. In our 25 Year Environment Plan we have committed to improving and extending our network of wildlife rich habitats, and Local Wildlife Sites are an important part of our existing habitat resource. We want to make sure that Local Wildlife Sites continue to be appropriately protected. The Housing Minister recently met the Wildlife Trusts and wrote to all MPs and Peers to make clear his commitment to ensuring clarity concerning these protections in the National Planning Policy Framework.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 16/05/2018 14:45:33 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	1934 label Biography information for Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer