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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 9 June 2021 to Question 10218 on Gardens: Biodiversity, whether his Department has taken steps to encourage individuals and organisations not to use artificial grass.

In the 25 Year Environment Plan, we committed to introduce new standards for green infrastructure. This new Green Infrastructure Framework will be launched by Natural England in December 2022. It will show what good green infrastructure looks like and help local authorities, developers and communities to improve provision in their area.

The Environment Act 2021 contains an ambitious package of reforms to restore and enhance nature and green spaces. This includes a new mandatory requirement for biodiversity net gain in the planning system, to ensure that new developments enhance biodiversity. In future, developments which involve the laying of artificial grass at the expense of natural landscaping, and are above a de minimis threshold, will be required to enhance biodiversity in other ways, through the biodiversity net gain requirement. This will incentivise more nature positive development.

As part of the Government's work to address the needs of pollinators, most recently set out in the latest Pollinator Action Plan published in May 2022, we encourage everyone to take 'Five Simple Actions' in gardens, on balconies, in window boxes and in allotments to make them pollinator friendly. These include: growing more flowers, shrubs and trees; letting gardens grow wild; cutting grass less often; not disturbing insect nest and hibernation spots; and thinking carefully about whether to use pesticides.