Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Sale of horticultural peat to be banned in move to protect England’s precious peatlands, published on 27 August 2022, what assessment he has made of (a) the time that will be required for the horticultural industry to complete its transition to peat-free products and (b) whether any exemptions will be required within the sector.

Ministers are aware that the horticulture industry has already made significant progress in terms of developing peat free alternatives and sourcing suitable material but recognise that certain sectors face particular technical obstacles and will need longer to make the transition to peat free.

The proposed ban will be framed in such a way as to provide time limited exemptions for the professional horticulture sector, in order to allow time to overcome these barriers. Officials are currently consulting with horticultural industry representatives to inform our detailed proposals.