We do not hold data on the number of trees which have died each year since 2010. We recognise trees can only help mitigate the impact of a changing climate if they are resilient to those challenges themselves, and to pests and diseases. Landowners and woodland managers should actively manage, increase diversity and maintain tree health so they are fit for the future, including new trees planted under our grant schemes. Our main grant schemes provide 15 years maintenance payments to give these trees the best chance to thrive.<\/p>
<\/p>
Individual landowners are legally responsible for the care and management of trees on their land. Defra and the Forestry Commission provide guidance and grants, to help landowners manage the impacts of priority tree pests and pathogens such as ash dieback and oak processionary moth. Last year we published a new Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain (2023 to 2028) which sets out an ambitious plan of action for continuing to drive up biosecurity standards and increase the protection for our trees.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4522", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rebecca Pow"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Taunton Deane"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rebecca Pow"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-22T13:38:45.827Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trees: Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of trees that have died in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve Reed"} ], "uin" : "19374"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1141170", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1141170/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Safeguarding plant health remains one of Defra\u2019s top priorities. The full findings from Government funded research into the lessons learned from the UK Dutch elm disease outbreak were published by Imperial College in 2011 and an independent taskforce on Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity was convened after the arrival of ash dieback in 2012. The Government has implemented all of the recommendations of the taskforce, including appointment of the Chief Plant Health Officer, development of a prioritised risk register, strengthened border security, import regulations and governance arrangements.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Tree Health Resilience Strategy - the first major publication to come out of the 25-Year Environment Plan sets out a new proactive approach to tree health, with landowners, charities, the public and government working together to take actions to build resilience against pests and diseases to protect the nation\u2019s trees.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4161", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-31T12:02:46.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trees: Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons were learnt as a result of the loss of English elm trees as a result of Dutch elm disease; and whether those lessons are being applied to ash dieback.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3813", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Harries of Pentregarth"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Harries of Pentregarth"} ], "uin" : "HL17353"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135419", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135419/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Defra has provided support for the Woodland Trust\u2019s nursery accreditation scheme which helps to promote UK sourced and grown planting stock and the now separate UK Grown in Britain scheme. To reduce the risk of importing tree diseases, Defra encourages a policy of safe sourcing and has been working with the Horticultural Trades Association to launch the \u2018Plant Healthy\u2019 management standard in January.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4161", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-08T14:07:47.067Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trees: Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, what steps they are taking to encourage the planting of homegrown stock to address concerns about the importation of tree diseases.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/134", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Framlingham"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Framlingham"} ], "uin" : "HL16740"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135420", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135420/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In May 2018 the Secretary Of State published the Tree Health Resilience Strategy and a National Action Plan which included a commitment to consult on the potential for quarantine for high risk plant species. We have recently completed an informal phase of engagement with the Tree Health Policy Group on this issue, and are now conducting research to help shape a formal consultation phase. The research aims to increase the evidence base for the volume and type of plants which enter the UK and identify what specific pest/host combinations pose the highest risk and may be suitable for quarantine measures.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4161", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-03T15:29:37.067Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trees: Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in the last 12 months to pursue the possibility of a quarantine system for all imported trees.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/134", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Framlingham"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Framlingham"} ], "uin" : "HL16741"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135421", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135421/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Last year, the Government launched the Don\u2019t Risk It communications campaign to encourage the travelling public not to risk bringing plant pests and disease into the UK. This summer, advertising space has been secured at the departure lounges of two of the UK\u2019s busiest airports, Gatwick and Manchester, in addition to the plant health messaging at the Border Force arrivals channels. The Don\u2019t Risk It campaign has featured in the Brittany Ferries passenger magazine which has an estimated reach of over 300,000 travellers, and is also being highlighted in the July edition of the Royal Horticultural Society\u2019s (RHS) The Garden magazine. This will be accompanied by a social media campaign and a visible public presence that includes all RHS shows as well as important regional events such as the Royal Welsh Show.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4161", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Gardiner of Kimble"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-03T14:12:33.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trees: Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase public awareness at all points of entry into the UK of the dangers of introducing tree disease on plants of any kind brought into the UK.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/134", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Framlingham"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Framlingham"} ], "uin" : "HL16742"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130849", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130849/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "