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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 4 April (HL7141), whether they are on target to meet their commitment to plant 11 million trees by 2020, and what are the latest figures for trees planted to date.

Figures published by the Forestry Commission show that 546 hectares of woodland was created in England during the financial year 2015-16. This was supported by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

In addition, the Forestry Commission estimates that a further 165 hectares of woodland was created without RDPE support, bringing the total created during 2015-16 to 711 hectares.

In the period April 2016 - June 2016 , a further 422 hectares of woodland was created with RDPE support. This amounted to 1,292,000 trees planted in England.

This Government remains committed to planting 11 million trees during this Parliament.