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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the work of (a) the National Plant Collections and (b) Plant Heritage on biodiversity; and if he will take steps to help support the work of these organisations.

The conservation work carried out by Plant Heritage to ensure the resilience of garden plants to environmental and societal change, makes an important contribution to HM Government’s plans to tackle biodiversity loss. There are currently over 650 registered and documented plant collections containing around 95,000 specimens under the auspices of Plant Heritage. Defra supports Plant Heritage alongside other organisations that hold plant collections, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which is a Defra non-departmental public body whose work aligns closely with the objectives of Plant Heritage. The National Collections held at Kew include species and cultivars grown for scientific research as well as ornamental display. They include genera such as bananas, important for their potential to safeguard food security through genetic diversification, and Betula, one of our most attractive garden trees. These collections form the basis for innovative interpretation and a vast programme of training and education. They come from a range of global locations and may offer valuable indications of which species could be fit and functional in the long term, in the face of biotic and abiotic threats. For example, incorporation of the genus Nothofagus (southern beech) into our tree planting programmes could help to ensure well-functioning future woodlands. With biodiversity disappearing at an unprecedented rate, the National Plant Collections and organisations such as Plant Heritage have an important role to play in the achievement of HM Government’s biodiversity ambitions.