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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a 25-year plan to restore biodiversity in the UK that includes (a) the biodiversity of the UK Overseas Territories and (b) an impact assessment on the effect of UK production and consumption on biodiversity in other countries.

The Government is developing a 25 year environment plan for England, which will include biodiversity. Biodiversity policy is a devolved matter but we will continue to talk to the devolved administrations throughout the development of the plan, including through the Four Countries Biodiversity Group.

UK Overseas Territory (OT) Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments. The Government cherishes the environmental assets of the OTs and we work with the Territory Governments to provide the support needed to ensure these are maintained. The 2012 White Paper on the UK’s OTs “Security, Success and Sustainability” and the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy are key tools in achieving this. The Government hopes to provide its next report on its activity to support this strategy in the autumn.

We have studied the evidence about displacement of environmental impacts associated with a global economy and this will be considered as part of our work to develop the 25 year environment plan. The Government already works to reduce the effect of UK production and consumption on the environment, for example through specific policies which promote the sustainable production and trade of palm oil, timber and woodfuel, thereby reducing the impact of their production on biodiversity in other countries.