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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his timescale is for publication of the first national habitat map for England.

My officials will be working with Natural England and local partners to pilot approaches to the production of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) in up to five areas in England. In these pilots we will explore how national data can best inform the production of LNRSs. We will then bring forward proposals for the national habitat map as soon as possible after Royal Assent of the Environment Bill.