Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that Environmental Land Management schemes include funding for (a) integrated, evidence-based management of predation pressure and (b) specialist farmer advisory support to improve the effectiveness of agri-environment measures for breeding wader recovery, including the Eurasian Curlew.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Support for specific species is primarily delivered via Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier where land managers can benefit from 1:1 advice and support from Natural England Advisers. In addition to the payments for the correct land management for Curlew, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier also includes capital grants for specialised predator fencing to protect nesting sites.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the England Tree Action Plan will review and improve the scope and effectiveness of Tree Preservation Orders.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government committed in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to publish a new Trees Action Plan for England in 2026. The Trees Action Plan will set out how the Government will invest in tree planting and the forestry sector to achieve our 2030 interim tree canopy and woodland cover target, improve the resilience and condition of our trees and woodlands, and deliver multiple benefits for nature, climate, people and the economy.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the England Tree Action Plan will include a new legal protection and designation system for (a) important and (b) heritage trees.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government committed in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to publish a new Trees Action Plan for England in 2026. The Trees Action Plan will set out how the Government will invest in tree planting and the forestry sector to achieve our 2030 interim tree canopy and woodland cover target, improve the resilience and condition of our trees and woodlands, and deliver multiple benefits for nature, climate, people and the economy.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026 to question 106695, what discussions she has had Natural England on restricting access to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including at Hoads Wood in 2023.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is continuing to temporarily restrict vehicular access to Hoads Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and, alongside Kent Police, is leading the criminal investigation into the illegal dumping of waste.
The primary legal framework for protecting SSSIs is the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which places a duty on public bodies to conserve and enhance SSSI features and controls operations likely to cause damage. Landowners and occupiers must obtain consent from Natural England (NE) before carrying out listed activities, including vehicle use. NE has enforcement powers to prevent or stop harm, including issuing stop notices, making byelaws and taking action against those who intentionally or recklessly damage SSSI features.
Additional powers are available under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which allows authorities to make Traffic Regulation Orders to protect SSSIs, with offences for non-compliance. The Police can also prosecute off-road vehicle use (including over SSSI land) under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and may seize vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 where use causes, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on which date was Natural England first notified of organised criminal activity in Hoads Wood Special Site of Scientific Interest.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England (NE) does not hold a record of a specific date on which it was first notified of organised criminal activity at Hoads Wood SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest. NE visited the site in February 2020 with Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council. Kent Police were also present to advise on the risks following reports of illegal activity.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of fly tipping have been recorded on the public forest estate in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton on 10 April 2026, PQ UIN 125371.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if a Special Representative for important trees will be appointed to champion them at a political level, as recommended in the Government-sponsored Tree Council report, published in 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Defra-funded report led by the Tree Council and Forest Research provides a range of recommendations for improving the protection and stewardship of ‘important’ trees. The Government is carefully considering its recommendations, including their feasibility and potential impacts, balancing our approach with our existing priorities and statutory obligations. We will set out actions to protect important trees in the new Trees Action Plan which will be published this year.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to question 97320, when her Department will publish its cross-government nature strategy; and for what reason it was not published in March as previously stated.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The cross‑government nature strategy is currently undergoing final cross‑government clearance, in line with standard collective agreement processes.
Publication in March was dependent on the completion of this process. The Department now expects to publish the strategy once collective clearance is complete and is working closely with other departments to enable publication as soon as possible.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her department expects to be able to publish the fully updated data and mapping for Agricultural Land Classifications in England.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A new predictive Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map for England has been created to replace the existing 1960s provisional ALC map. The 1960s provisional ALC map does not show ALC Grade 3 subdivision into subgrade 3a and 3b and reflects a superseded ALC methodology.
The Predictive ALC map was announced on the 18 March 2026 in the publication of the Land Use Framework (LUF).
This Predictive ALC map reflects the currently available soil and ALC data, prepared in line with the ALC methodology published in the 2025 Defra and Welsh Government Joint Report (JP069) Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales: Guidelines for grading the quality of agricultural land - JP069.
The Predictive ALC map, technical annex and mapping layer will be published this Spring. The final publication sits with Defra.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to meet the nature targets set out in the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is clear that nature and development can go hand in hand.
The Land Use Framework shows we have enough land to achieve our priorities if we make better decisions about how we use it. We can restore nature and meet our housing and clean energy targets.