Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is developing targets for the protection and restoration of upland and lowland peat.
In the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government committed to publishing an England Peat Strategy to create and deliver a new ambitious framework for peat restoration in England. We intend to publish it in due course. That strategy will set out a holistic plan for the management, protection and restoration of our upland and lowland peatlands so that they deliver benefits for climate and nature. We are considering the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendations in drawing up the strategy.
We are currently allocating £10 million in 2018-21 for approximately 5,948 hectares of peatland restoration; our manifesto committed to increase that as part of the new £640 million Nature for Climate Fund. We will set out more details of funding allocated specifically to peat restoration in due course.