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 to promote the skills of hedge-planting in rural areas.

This answer applies to England only.

The Government provides grants for hedge planting under Countryside Stewardship and previously under Environmental Stewardship. These schemes do not pay specifically for skills development, but do create a demand for hedge skills. Under live Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship agreements we are funding over 690km of hedgerow planting in total.

The Government has worked with national park authorities and the Institute for Apprenticeships in developing a Countryside Worker Apprenticeship standard. This includes hedge management within its scope.

There are a range of training courses and advisory materials on hedge planting and management provided by charities such as the National Hedgelaying Society and by the Hedgelink partnership.