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 support research and development in the ornamental horticulture sector.

The Government recognises the importance of the ornamental horticultural sector, with domestic production of ornamentals being worth £1.5 billion at farm-gate in 2022.

Industry-led research and development is key to enabling the development of real-world solutions to the challenges being faced by farmers and growers and also to exploiting new opportunities open to them. We have recognised strengths in bio-science, cutting-edge technology and research, with world leading institutes and pioneering farmers, and our £270 million Farming Innovation Programme is supporting industry-led research and development in agriculture and horticulture in England. The ornamental sector is in scope of this programme.