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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the condition of moorlands.

Defra and its arm’s length bodies hold a range of data which provides information on the condition of moorland.

Information from site specific surveys and monitoring of agri-environment agreements is available on the Government data website[1], or the Defra science site.[2]

Over half of the moorland in England is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its biological or geological value. Information on the condition of these SSSIs, which cover a range of habitat types, is held and published by Natural England and can be accessed at the link below.

https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/NEInterimReports/ConditionByHabitat.aspx

[1] https://data.gov.uk/

[2] http://randd.defra.gov.uk/