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

To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to communities to respond to treefall as a result of extreme weather.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Forestry Commission works closely with the forestry sector and environmental organisations to provide guidance on storm recovery operations for both public and private woodland owners following extreme weather.

The Forestry Commission provides support through Incident Management and Contingency Planning, helping to coordinate response, issue warnings, and share information to the forestry sector and communities. This work is carried out in partnership with Lead Government Departments and emergency responders.

Forestry Commission guidance states that a felling licence is not required to clear windblown (uprooted, snapped or no longer growing) or dangerous trees. Where felling licence applications relate directly to managing standing trees that present public safety risks, the Forestry Commission may expedite processing by excluding publishing on the public consultation register where there is an overriding public safety benefit.

During recovery, restocking woodlands provides an opportunity to increase resilience to future extreme weather and climate change, including adjusting woodland design and tree species choices to improve long‑term stability.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve support for farmers affected by flooding.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agri-environment schemes currently fund a range of actions offering multi-year support for farmers to manage and reduce flooding on their land. Defra provides grants such as BFS1: 12-24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land and CSW24: Manage grassland for flood and drought resilience and water quality. The Government will be opening a new round of SFI for applications from small farms and those without an existing SFI agreement this summer and the CSHT scheme is open to those who have been invited to apply by the Rural Payments Agency.

The Farming Recovery Fund was used to make exceptional, one-off recovery payments to support farmers affected by Storms Babet, Henk and severe wet weather over the winter of 2023 and 2024 to help cover the uninsured costs of restoring farmland. Farmers are encouraged to continue managing their own risk by taking actions in their own business to build resilience, including taking advantage of commercial insurance markets. There are no plans to open the Farming Recovery Fund at this time.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the farming recovery fund.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agri-environment schemes currently fund a range of actions offering multi-year support for farmers to manage and reduce flooding on their land. Defra provides grants such as BFS1: 12-24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land and CSW24: Manage grassland for flood and drought resilience and water quality. The Government will be opening a new round of SFI for applications from small farms and those without an existing SFI agreement this summer and the CSHT scheme is open to those who have been invited to apply by the Rural Payments Agency.

The Farming Recovery Fund was used to make exceptional, one-off recovery payments to support farmers affected by Storms Babet, Henk and severe wet weather over the winter of 2023 and 2024 to help cover the uninsured costs of restoring farmland. Farmers are encouraged to continue managing their own risk by taking actions in their own business to build resilience, including taking advantage of commercial insurance markets. There are no plans to open the Farming Recovery Fund at this time.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Storm Goretti on habitats and biodiversity.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Storm events place increasing pressure on the water environment and can disrupt habitats and biodiversity. The Environment Agency (EA) would not usually look at the impact of a particular storm, such as Storm Goretti, on nature. Instead, the EA considers these issues in the broader context of climate resilience, including how natural processes contribute to protection and recovery.

The England and UK Biodiversity Indicators (see both attached) give a snapshot of the current status of biodiversity and track trends over time, showing whether aspects of biodiversity are improving, declining, or remaining stable. The England Biodiversity Indicators are continually adapted to align with the Environmental Improvement Plan.