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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department's target of planting 180,000 hectares of new woodland in England by the end of 2042 will be adopted as a corporate objective by Forestry Commission England.

The Forestry Commission’s Corporate Plan 2018-19 describes how it aims to support the planting of more woodland in England. The Forestry Commission’s current priority is to work with the sector to deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to plant 11 million trees this Parliament. This and further action by the Forestry Commission and others will contribute to increasing woodland in England in line with our aspiration of 12% cover by 2060, which would involve planting 180,000 hectares by end of 2042.