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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the impact of swift bricks on the swift population in areas where such bricks have been included in new build developments.

Through the Environment Act 2021 we have introduced a mandatory duty for developers to deliver a ‘biodiversity net gain’, which will mean that habitats for wildlife must be left in a measurably better state than they were before any development. Specific biodiversity features, such as swift bricks, would normally be required of developments through either the relevant local plan or through the local authority’s development control team. There is currently little research into how swift bricks are used by swifts and what designs work best. As their use becomes more widespread, Defra and its agencies will continue to monitor swift populations and look for indications of positive effects.