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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what specific discussions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with (i) Cabinet colleagues and (ii) officials in other Government departments on assessing the (A) feasibility and (B) impact of a 2024 horticulture peat ban date on the UK horticulture industry; and if he will publish the (1) evidential basis and (2) assessments made to reach the decision of 2024 as the date for that ban.

Prior to publishing the consultation on ending the sale of peat and peat containing products in horticulture in England and Wales, we consulted with all relevant Government departments.

During our consultation, we completed an assessment of the economic impact of the proposed measures. This assessment can be found here: Consultation Impact Assessment Ending the Retail Sale of Peat in Horticulture in England and Wales.pdf (defra.gov.uk). This impact assessment builds on over ten years of close engagement with the horticulture sector that saw the adoption of voluntary targets for the amateur sector to be peat free by 2020.

Following the analysis of all consultation responses, the Government will publish a full response outlining our plans for ending the sale of peat and peat containing products in horticulture.