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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking (1) to support the Plant Healthy scheme, and (2) to press for its (a) widespread, and (b) mandatory, adoption.

Defra has supported the development of the Plant Health Management Standard, and Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, by providing funding and technical expertise.

For example, we funded the development of e-learning modules designed to help organisations build their knowledge of the principles of plant health management and the regulatory framework.

Defra will continue to provide financial support for the Scheme during its start-up phase. We are in the process of agreeing milestones and deliverables that will be required for this support, including appointment of a full-time Scheme Manager and delivery of a marketing and PR plan for the Scheme which we also commissioned.

Current Government policy does not stipulate biosecurity standards for the sourcing of trees and plants. Defra aims to change central Government policy so that trees and plants for public contracts are only sourced from suppliers who can meet the requirements set out in the Plant Health Management Standard, which is the industry-backed, benchmark standard. One of the ways that suppliers will be able to demonstrate that they can meet this standard is by becoming Plant Healthy certified.

A commitment to introducing the Plant Health Management Standard for suppliers of plants and trees under relevant government grants and contracts was recently published in the England Trees Action Plan.

We intend to pilot this new procurement requirement for some of our Forestry Commission planting grants from early next year.