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 environmental impact of consumers shopping locally; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact on net zero targets if consumers are unable to shop locally.

The Secretary of State recognises the importance of consumers having access to local shops for environmental sustainability and for supporting net zero goals. The Secretary of State, Defra Ministers and officials meet regularly with retailers where discussions have included to understand initiatives to support efforts that enable consumers to shop locally.