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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of tree planting rates.

The Forestry Commission publishes progress against the 11 million trees target quarterly. Woodland created so far using CAP funding during the course of this Parliament (counted from April to September 2017 - the most recent assessment) equates to 692 hectares, or approximately 1,074,000 trees. Woodland created during the previous Parliament (2015 to 2017) amounted to 1,104 hectares, or approximately 1,502,000 trees.

The government was concerned about planting rates in the previous Parliament and has taken action to stimulate additional planting.

Forestry is a devolved matter and this answer refers to England only.