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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage investment in natural capital projects in Frome and East Somerset constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) is developing an initiative called Heart of Wessex that incorporates large parts of the Frome and East Somerset constituency. It is led by the EA and works across Natural England, The Forestry Commission, local eNGOs and community groups. It is designed to leverage natural capital and ecosystem services to draw in largescale sustainable finance across the boundaries of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

We have also been working with Wessex Water and the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership to develop a partnership project in the Cam & Wellow Catchment under the Water Industry National Environment Programme. This project will help drive large amounts of investment into natural capital, delivering nature-based solutions, habitat creation and water quality improvements across the constituency.

Other partnership projects in this constituency that we have supported, and which have invested in natural capital include:

• Natural Flood Management and farm advisory projects to tackle diffuse pollution in the Somerset Frome catchment.
• A project in Frome Town called Transforming Waterways in Somerset Towns.
• A river restoration scheme on the River Mells.
• A project in the Somer Valley which included creating green spaces and access to nature to promote improved health and wellbeing in the local communities.