Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of domestic thatch growers on the future of the industry.

There are approximately 25,000 listed thatched buildings in England, many more are unlisted. These buildings are a quintessential part of some of our best loved rural landscapes.

Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on heritage, carried out research into the thatching industry and domestic supply of material for thatching historic buildings. A 2024 report estimates that 80% of cereal straw grown for thatching in England is produced by around 25 English growers. In Historic England’s view, it is not necessarily the number of domestic growers that impacts the future of the industry, but their wider challenges such as mechanisation, climate and the wider supply chain.

In response to their research, Historic England updated their guidance on the conservation of traditional thatch in 2025 enabling a change of thatch materials in times of shortage and in cases in urgent need of repair. This update aims to provide confidence to decision makers to grant listed building consent whilst helping to maintain support for the straw-growing sector. To disseminate its latest guidance, Historic England is holding a free workshop for thatching-straw growers in April 2026 with further research into mechanisation solutions for growers planned later this year.