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 increase the number of available sites for biodiversity net gain credits in Lincolnshire.

The national Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) register now lists 46 gain sites, covering over 1300 hectares of area habitats in England. Defra also know that there are many more BNG units available in the private market, which will be added to the register.

Defra have funded the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) to support Local Planning Authorities with developing local markets, and there are also a growing number of designated responsible bodies, who are able to enter into legal agreements to enhance land for nature with landowners in England.