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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made in setting out and implementing a national strategy for areas of outstanding natural beauty; and if she will make a statement.

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) partnerships and conservation boards, along with National Park Authorities, are a vital part of the fabric of the nation. Whilst there are no current plans to either set out or implement a specific national strategy for AONBs, I recognise that they make a significant contribution to realising Defra’s wider ambitions for the natural environment, and they are engaged in our ongoing development of a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.