Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards international climate and nature targets.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK fully supported the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and has already submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity National Targets that are fully aligned with the Framework. We will publish the full UK National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in due course, and we will provide an assessment of our progress in the implementation of the KMGBF, including progress towards the national targets, in our seventh and eighth national reports in February 2026 and June 2029, respectively.
The UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 2030 and 2035 targets – to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% and 81% respectively on 1990 levels – are a fair and ambitious contribution to global action on climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goal, and remains in place.
We are absolutely committed to our climate targets. That is why making Britain a clean energy superpower is one of the five missions of this Government - delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating the transition to net zero across the economy. This will make it easier and affordable for people across the country to move towards sustainable lifestyles.
The UK was the first major economy to halve its emissions, cutting them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023, while growing our economy by 79%.
The UK over-achieved against the first, second and third Carbon Budgets, and we will deliver an updated cross-economy plan in due course, which will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6 and the 2030 and 2035 NDCs on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards meeting the statutory environmental target of 16.5 per cent tree cover in England by 2050.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are making progress towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree and woodland cover in England by 2050.
We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the current and next financial year and we have launched a Tree Planting Taskforce to support our plans to plant millions more trees. We will work to resolve barriers to help enable tree planting, boost biodiversity and grow the UK’s forestry sector.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards peatland restoration, and what consideration they have given to banning sales of peat compost and peat-containing products which contribute to the destruction of peatland habitats in the UK and in Europe.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. That is why this Government is investing £400 million to protect and restore nature, including our peatlands.
We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before. Peatland restoration is currently funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, and going forwards will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship schemes.
Ministers are committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs and are looking at next steps for measures to end the use of peat in horticulture. We continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to support progress on the peat free transition.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban bottom trawling.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bottom trawling can clearly be a damaging activity if it happens in the wrong place. We are considering next steps to manage bottom trawling, along with other fishing methods, where this might damage marine protected area features or benthic habitats, in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations. We are keen to continue to work closely with fisheries and marine stakeholders as we develop our plans for future fisheries and marine management.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum’s top two global risks over the next ten years, namely extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, and biodiversity loss.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the importance of these global risks highlighted by the World Economic Forum. No society can thrive without protecting the environment on which we rely. That is why this Government is committed to ambitious action on climate and biodiversity. The UK is providing global leadership to end poverty on a liveable planet.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are key elements of the Government’s National Risk Register.
Internationally, we work closely with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, who provide the best available science to assess these risks. We are building global environmental ambition by accelerating delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, including through our domestic actions.
Domestically, our independent Climate Change Committee is working on the 4th Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA). We are building global environmental ambition – accelerating delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, including through our domestic actions. Defra is responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008, including preparing a National Adaptation Programme every five years, informed by the CCRA. The State of Natural Capital report shows how to mitigate risks from biodiversity loss. We have also launched a rapid review environmental improvement plan to deliver on our legally binding environment targets.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impacts of nitrogen pollution, and what plans they have to tackle it.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will be providing a detailed response covering this question in written evidence to the Lords Inquiry on Nitrogen. Nitrogen - Committees - UK Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety valve agreement, and of its impact in the local authorities where such agreements have been made.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Safety Valve agreements were only entered into if the local authority and the department’s expert advisers agreed that the proposals would improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) whilst enabling local authorities to meet their statutory obligations. Safety Valve agreements do not in any way release local authorities from their obligation to fulfil their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.
The department is also conducting a research project into the impact of Safety Valves in local areas. This will help us further understand the experience of children, parents, carers and schools.
The department has confirmed that it will not enter into any more Safety Valve agreements for councils that have financial deficits, pending wider reform of the whole system to prioritise early intervention, properly supporting councils to bring their finances under control. We will will continue to work with local authorities that have Safety Valve agreements with the department, to deliver their plans.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the most vulnerable pupils with special educational needs in local authorities where a safety valve agreement has been made; and how they propose to minimise this impact.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Safety Valve agreements were only entered into if the local authority and the department’s expert advisers agreed that the proposals would improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) whilst enabling local authorities to meet their statutory obligations. Safety Valve agreements do not in any way release local authorities from their obligation to fulfil their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.
The department is also conducting a research project into the impact of Safety Valves in local areas. This will help us further understand the experience of children, parents, carers and schools.
The department has confirmed that it will not enter into any more Safety Valve agreements for councils that have financial deficits, pending wider reform of the whole system to prioritise early intervention, properly supporting councils to bring their finances under control. We will will continue to work with local authorities that have Safety Valve agreements with the department, to deliver their plans.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget’s changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on the mental health of farming families who own small farms.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the Government took a number of decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services. The Government has done so in a way that makes the tax system fairer and more sustainable.
At the Budget, the Government set out that, from 6 April 2026, in addition to existing nil-rate bands and exemptions, the 100% rate of relief will continue for the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business assets, and the rate of relief will be 50% thereafter.
Almost three-quarters of estates each year claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim business property relief, are expected to be unaffected.
The Government is committed to supporting farmers and agricultural workers in accessing the support that they need as they undertake the vital work of producing food and looking after the environment. For example, through its Farming and Countryside Programme, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) already works with a range of farming charities, including the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and the Yellow Wellies charity, which have highlighted mental health challenges for farming communities.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget's changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on the ability of young people to own an economically viable farm in the future.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at GOV.UK.
It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR. Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.
In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
Alongside these tax reliefs, the Government has also confirmed that the existing scope of agricultural property relief will b extended from 6 April 2025 to land managed under certain environmental agreements.