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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to enable the natural regeneration of trees and shrubs to support achieving the UK's 2050 net zero target.

Defra encourages the use of natural regeneration to maintain and create semi-natural woodland where possible on National Nature Reserves managed by Natural England. Natural regeneration can play a role in increasing tree cover to meet the net zero commitment, depending on the landscape and other objectives.