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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support hedgehog conservation initiatives in the West Midlands.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are being prepared by responsible authorities to agree on priorities that help nature recover and support species of local and national importance. Responsible authorities are required to consider national environmental objectives when preparing their LNRS, including the target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. The West Midlands LNRS was published recently and maps specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement to support species such as hedgehogs.

Nationally, Natural England is supporting the National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy and the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. Information gathered from these projects will provide insights into the factors contributing to hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.