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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2026 to Question 18773 on Biodiversity, whether it remains her Department's policy that biodiversity net gain applies to most development.

Most planning applications have always been exempt from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) because they have little or no impact on nature. BNG continues to apply to many new housing and commercial developments and will be mandatory for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from November 2026. Government expects BNG to continue to play an important role in recovering nature in England while supporting the homes and infrastructure we need.