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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Biodiversity Net Gain will become mandatory in winter 2023 as proposed.

We remain committed to the implementation of biodiversity net gain, to make the achievement of a 10% gain mandatory for housing and other types of development. As previously announced, it is our intention to commence the Environment Act's requirement for development in November next year. Before then, we will be publishing a response to the consultation on net gain earlier this year that sets out further details of the approach.