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 achieve the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 commitment to increase seagrass cover by 15% by 2043.

The revised Environmental Improvement Plan includes prioritised actions to deliver our goals and the ambitious Environment Act targets. Achieving our environmental ambitions requires collective action from individuals, communities, and organisations across all sectors.

The Environment Agency with partners is working to restore 15% of saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reef in England by 2043 through the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) programme. Defra have boosted the capacity of ReMeMaRe by funding a programme office, which is supporting a pipeline of practical restoration projects for those habitats.

70% of seagrass habitats are within UK marine protected areas. Our Environment Act MPA target sets ambitious targets for all MPA features, including seagrass, to be in favourable or recovering condition by 2042.

Defra also established the cross-administration UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership to identify priority evidence needs for these important habitats. The Partnership is formed of Defra, the devolved governments and DESNZ.