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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the UK Forestry Standard is being enforced in (a) public and (b) private woodland creation.

The UK Forestry Standard is the technical standard for sustainable forest management across the UK and defines the government requirements for forestry in the UK. When taking decisions on regulatory or grant applications from private landowners, the Forestry Commission assesses all proposals to ensure that they are in line with the UK Forestry Standard. Similarly, Forestry England woodlands are UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) certified by an independent auditor. The UKWAS is based on the UKFS.