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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the compilation of evidence that underpins the Benyon Review and Nature Recovery Green Paper.

The initial proposals set out in the Nature Recovery Green Paper are based on publicly available evidence and advice from our experts. The purpose of the Green Paper consultation is to gather views and evidence that will enable us to develop policies to secure nature’s recovery.

Alongside the Nature Recovery Green Paper, we published a summary of the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Review Working Group's findings, as well as guidance on regulation 9 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. The summary of findings of the HRA Working Group set out how the working group approached their review, the principles which guided the review, and how they sought evidence. It provides the background to chapter 3.2.1 of the Nature Recovery Green Paper, which reflects its findings. We are not currently planning to publish further evidence underpinning the Nature Recovery Green Paper or the HRA review led by Lord Benyon.