Peatlands: Commercial Exploitation

Debate between Lord McColl of Dulwich and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Monday 9th September 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, the noble Lord is absolutely right. The merlin, the dunlin and the golden plover are all birds that are also significant in their impact on the ecosystems and important in the peatlands. That is precisely why we want to concentrate on restoring peatlands and reducing peat extraction. Interestingly, the worst damage is being done in the lowland areas of peatland.

[Lord McColl of Dulwich (Con)]

My Lords, why do we not go back to using manure, which was very effective?

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, being a farmer as well as an amateur gardener, I say that manure by itself would be a little too rich for some of the seedlings which we all need to prosper, but my noble friend is absolutely right about using compost and manure. Using them in the right mix and getting the right alternatives—natural alternatives such as wool and bracken—is the way forward.