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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the online sale of plant species classified as (a) invasive and (b) of special concern by the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat.

The Department, through the Non-native Species Inspectorate, actively monitors the online sale of invasive and species of special concern. Since 2022, over 1,500 non-compliant listings have been identified, with targeted action resulting in the removal of 272 listings. The Inspectorate has implemented a structured quarterly search strategy and works with major platforms to improve compliance. While enforcement is more challenging for overseas sellers, efforts continue to reduce online risks to biosecurity.