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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 32775 on Swifts: Conservation, what recent progress has been made in those discussions; and what steps she is taking to help increase uptake.

Defra policy officials continue to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government colleagues on swift brick policy, alongside wider nature and planning matters.

As part of our work to develop a set of national planning policies for decision making, the Government intends to consult on changes which require swift bricks to be incorporated into new buildings unless there are compelling reasons which preclude their use, or which would make them ineffective. This would strengthen significantly the planning policy expectations already in place, meaning – for example – that we would expect to see at least one swift brick in all new brick-built houses.

As an interim step ahead of the consultation, we have published updated Planning Practice Guidance setting out how swift bricks are expected to be used in new development, and signposting to further guidance including the British Industry Standard, Part 2 of the National Model Design Code, the Future Homes Hub Homes for Nature Guidance, and the RSPB’s Guide to Nestboxes.