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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to announce a further round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund or similar funding stream for local biodiversity and nature projects.

In November 2020, the Government announced that it would double the size of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF) by making an additional £40 million investment. Round two of the GRCF opened for applications on 9 March. It will fund projects that restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment while creating and retaining jobs in the nature sector. We will review the effectiveness of projects in delivering against these aims before announcing any further rounds.

In addition, over the next five years, the Nature for Climate Fund will drive a step-change in tree planting and woodland creation in England. This will be critical to achieving the Government's UK manifesto target of planting 30,000ha of trees per year by 2025, as well as restoring peatland. Farmers and other land managers in protected landscapes have been allocated funding from the Future Farming and Countryside Programme.

The Government has also recently launched the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund. This will provide technical assistance grants of up to £100,000 to environmental groups, local authorities, businesses and other organisations to develop nature projects in England that can attract private sector investment.