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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help restore plantations on ancient woodland sites.

Defra supports private landowners and land managers to restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland (PAWS) with a dedicated supplement in Countryside Stewardship. Defra is also continuing support to Forestry England to restore PAWS on the public forest estate. Forestry England manages around one-third of all PAWS. Today, a quarter of those sites have been restored. Forestry England is now working to double the pace of restoration, supported for the first time this year by direct Defra funding.