Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 19 April (HL Deb, col 1639), what discussions have been held by (1) ministers, and (2) civil servants, about the role of planning policy in helping the UK to meet legally binding (a) domestic, and (b) international, (i) climate, and (ii) biodiversity, targets.

Ministers are regularly involved in cross-Government discussions about domestic and international climate and biodiversity targets, and how to meet them. Civil servants across departments and arm’s-length bodies also meet regularly to discuss these issues and the relationship between planning policy and meeting our environmental goals. This involves targets such as net zero emissions by 2050 and delivering biodiversity net gain.

Tackling climate change is a top priority for the Government, and in the Planning for the Future White Paper, we committed to ensuring the planning system supports our efforts to combat climate change and maximises environmental benefits. Our response to the White Paper will be published in due course.

Civil servants from across Government engage with stakeholders including the Local Government Association and local authorities to ensure that planning policy can support our domestic and international climate and biodiversity targets. This includes discussions between ministers, stakeholders and officials as to how planning policy can be a vehicle for achieving our biodiversity targets.