Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking in response to the Joint Intelligence Committee’s Nature Security Assessment to address the national security risks arising from accelerating biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, including risks to the UK’s food and water security, public health and supply chain resilience.

The Nature Security Assessment is a cross-government strategic analysis that brings together scientific evidence, policy analysis and national security expertise to inform long-term resilience and security planning. In response to the risks it identifies, the UK is already taking action to strengthen food, water, public health and supply chain resilience, including through major investment in nature at home and abroad. The UK is meeting the International Climate Finance (ICF) 3 spending target of at least £11.6 billion over 2021 to 2026, supporting nature protection and sustainable agriculture globally. Domestically, the UK has a resilient food system and is investing £11.8 billion this Parliament to support sustainable farming, alongside action to strengthen critical supply chains through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy. These measures sit alongside wider domestic action to restore and protect nature, including record levels of tree planting, peatland restoration, improved water quality and stronger protection for the marine environment.