Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Tree Planting

Thursday 9 December 2021 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government aims to increase tree planting to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament.
  • The plant health management standard will serve as the biosecurity baseline for future Government grants and contracts.
  • Harrow Council is commended for joining the Trees for Streets project, which aims to plant 250,000 street trees over a decade.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Environment
Context

There is an ongoing initiative to increase tree planting across the UK.

Question

What steps he is taking to ensure the planting of more trees. I strongly support the provision of new trees, not only in woodland and beyond but in urban and suburban settings.

Answer from Jo Churchill

We are committed to increasing tree planting to 30,000 hectares per year across the United Kingdom by the end of this Parliament. We are spending £750 million through the nature for climate fund on trees, woodland and peat restoration in England. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Harrow Council on being one of the first councils in the country to join the Trees for Streets project, which is funded by the green recovery challenge fund.

Partly answered

Not addressed: He did not provide specific steps or commitments beyond general statements and acknowledgments of existing initiatives.

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Q2 Jason McCartney Con
Environment
Context

The UK and Ireland have a 'sourced and grown' standard for tree planting to ensure biosecurity.

Question

Following the Government's biosecurity consultation, can the Minister please reassure the House that the tree sourcing standard will allow these future projects to be eligible for Government funding?

Answer from Jo Churchill

I thank my hon. Friend for asking that important question. The plant health management standard will be the future baseline biosecurity standard for Government grants and contracts. That comprehensive standard, with 23 robust biosecurity requirements, covers the domestic production and international supply of all plants.

Partly answered

Not addressed: While she provided some details on the new standards, she did not directly confirm funding eligibility or provide specific commitments related to future projects.

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Q3 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Environment
Context

The Trees for Streets project aims to encourage tree planting in urban settings.

Question

Will my hon. Friend join me in praising the Trees for Streets project, which is working across urban settings to encourage the provision of trees in streets where residents can get involved not only in planting trees but in nourishing them?

Answer from Jo Churchill

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Harrow Council on being one of the first councils in the country to join the Trees for Streets project, which is funded by the green recovery challenge fund. It aims to support the planting of 250,000 street trees over the next 10 years.

Answered
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Q4 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Environment
Context

Woodland Trust Northern Ireland encourages local councils to adopt tree strategies.

Question

Will the Minister introduce a similar scheme here on the UK mainland to encourage the idea of localised tree planting in communities?

Answer from Jo Churchill

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave a few moments ago, but I would be happy to talk to him further about what is happening in Northern Ireland to see whether there are lessons to be learned.

Not addressed: He did not address the question directly and instead referred back to his previous statement without providing a new commitment or answer.

How: Referring To Earlier Statements

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Q5 Alan Brown SNP
Scotland Environment
Context

The UK Government has set a goal of planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year.

Question

Given that forestry is devolved, is not that 30,000 hectare target a bit of a con trick? Why does the UK Government not step up, learn from Scotland and put forward an ambitious tree planting target?

Answer from Jo Churchill

I am slightly surprised that the hon. Gentleman does not laud the ambition to plant those 30,000 hectares. Having spoken to those in Scotland, I would encourage the Scottish Government to get on and grant people the permission to plant those trees.

Not addressed: He did not address the question about target comparison but instead criticised the Scottish government's approach.

How: Criticising The Opposition

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Q6 Neil Parish Con
Environment
Context

The Minister previously stated that 7,000 hectares of trees would be planted in England by 2024.

Question

When planting those trees, we want native trees that have been grown in this country so as not to import disease. It takes three years to grow a tree, so we need the nurseries to be told exactly what we need for 2024.

Answer from Jo Churchill

We are working hard to ensure that my hon. Friend has that clarity and that we have that understanding in the area of biosecurity. We want to ensure that everybody knows what the rules are so that we can get on with improving the environment and planting those trees.

Partly answered

Not addressed: While she acknowledged the need for clarity, she did not provide specific timelines or details about biosecurity requirements.

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