Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department is assessing reports of widespread abuses of the de minimis exemption to Biodiversity Net Gain; and whether this exemption is still needed in light of the new exemptions for sites below 0.2 hectares.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A full consultation response and impact assessment to the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will set out whether any changes will be made to the de minimis exemption alongside the introduction of the new 0.2-hectare area exemption.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) implications for her policies of routine use of fungicides in the seed supply chain and (b) impact of their use on (i) integrated pest management, (ii) soil health restoration and (iii) pesticide use..
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plant protection products (PPPs – also known as pesticides) may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if they have been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.
Our strict, science-based regulation is supplemented with policies to encourage safe and minimal use. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) lies at the heart of the government’s approach to minimise the environmental impact of PPPs, including fungicides. IPM practices can reduce the risks associated with pesticide use, helping to protect wildlife, and enhance soil and water quality.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department are taking to ensure that the restoration of ancient woodland through agri-environment schemes is accessible to small landowners.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Woodlands as small as 0.5ha are now eligible for the Countryside Stewardship supplements “Manage and restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWs)” and “Manage native woodland including Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands”, ensuring support is available to landowners and managers of smaller ancient woodlands.
In 2025, we also updated our Countryside Stewardship offer by simplifying our baseline Woodland Improvement grant.
These steps will help to bring more of our smaller ancient woodlands into restoration and management.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement mechanisms for the development of tree planting and woodland restoration policy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra Ministers and officials regularly engage with stakeholders on tree planting and woodland restoration policy through one-to-one meetings and wider stakeholder engagement forums. In addition, the Forestry Commission carries out a broad set of stakeholder engagement such as through their Delivery Advisory Group and regional Forestry and Woodland Advisory Committees, as well as regular events across the country. This activity is amplified by extensive regional and national press coverage helping raise awareness of trees and woodlands.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what governance structures are in place to coordinate delivery of the Oxford-Cambridge Forest across local authority boundaries; and whether she plans to establish a dedicated coordination body.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The exact location of the new forest in the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor is subject to design work and discussion with partners. Further detail will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of EIP25 targets for improving plantations on ancient woodland soils with Forestry England’s 2044 target on PAWS restoration.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP25) target and Forestry England’s Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration target are compatible.
The EIP25 target for improving PAWS is strategic, setting a national ambition to enhance biodiversity and resilience across these irreplaceable habitats.
Forestry England’s 2044 PAWS restoration target is more granular, requiring measurable improvement in Semi-Natural Scores. These objectives are entirely aligned: both aim to restore ecological integrity and native woodland character. Early soil eDNA investigations by Forestry England indicate that PAWS restoration works to restore soil health.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in relation to the Oxford–Cambridge Forest, what assessment has been made of the impact of afforestation on hydrology in the region.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of our approach to the New National Forest in the OxCam region -spatial data will be used to prioritise sites for woodland creation that will deliver public benefits such as flood management and mitigation as well as other water management functions.
Afforestation projects above 0.5 hectares will also likely require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which will include a detailed assessment of potential impacts on the water environment. Further details on this new national forest will be announced in the coming months.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether indicators of progress for tree planting, canopy cover, ancient woodland condition, tree survival and biodiversity for the Oxford–Cambridge Forest will be published annually.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Forest Research publishes Forestry Statistics annually and these include comprehensive data on woodland creation, canopy expansion, species mix, and sustainability trends across England and the UK. These national reports provide an important context for progress on tree planting and canopy cover, complementing more detailed project monitoring undertaken by the Nature for Climate Fund.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timeline is for woodland creation for the Oxford–Cambridge National Forest; what interim milestones have been set; and when plans for boundaries and targets will be published.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government intends for woodland creation to commence in the Oxford Cambridge Corridor in November 2026. Further detail concerning milestones, targets and boundaries for this New National Forest will be made public in due course.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that domestic timber production does not adversely impact biodiversity and habitat creation targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We encourage woodlands in England to be planted and managed in compliance with the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) which is an agreed UK wide approach to sustainable forest management. In commercial woodlands which are managed in line with the UKFS or where specific biodiversity positive actions are taken, biodiversity benefits can be gained. We will continue to look at how all kinds of woodlands can contribute to our biodiversity targets through the upcoming Land Use Framework.