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 adequacy of the preparedness of local planning authorities to meet their obligations under the biodiversity net gain regulations.

Ministers and officials from Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have regular discussions on a range of issues. Officials from both departments continue to work very closely together on biodiversity net gain (BNG) implementation to ensure local planning authorities have the guidance and tools in place to deliver BNG.

Defra has committed £35 million since financial year 2021/2022 to enable Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and implement BNG. On top of this, Defra has funded the Planning Advisory Service to support Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and deliver BNG.

Defra and MHCLG will continue to monitor the roll out of BNG.