Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to enact statutory protection for green spaces; and what steps he is taking to promote the health benefits of parks and urban green spaces.

The Government does not have plans to enact statutory protection for green spaces. We are committed to reducing excessive central reporting burdens on local government. It is for local authorities and local communities to decide how best to manage their local parks and green spaces and how to utilise available funding to best effect.

The Government recognises the health benefits of parks and urban green spaces. We have invested over £15 million in 2018-19 to support a robust package of new Government initiatives to support the sustainability of green spaces – including £3.75 million on the expansion of the Pocket Parks Plus programme and £9.7 million to ensure local authorities can continue to maintain and develop good quality, accessible parks and green spaces.

The 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) sets out that spending time in the natural environment can improve our mental health and feelings of well-being. Government has committed to actions that seek to help people improve their health and well-being by using green spaces. These commitments include:

• Considering how NHS mental health providers in England could work with environmental voluntary sector organisations to offer mental health therapies
• Establish a cross-government programme that helps health professionals and local authorities to connect more people with nature to support their health and wellbeing.

Defra, NHS England, Public Health England and Natural England are working together to launch these actions and establish a programme which will deliver the 25YEP mental health commitments.