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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding the Government has committed to restoring peatlands in the years (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021 to date.

In July 2017, Defra launched a three-year, £10 million capital grant scheme for peatland restoration in England, funding sites that delivered the greatest potential for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, value for money and maximum environmental benefits.

Last year the Government also committed funds to the Nature for Climate Fund, which introduced a new capital grant scheme for peatland restoration. In advance of the scheme being launched this year, we made a number of investments in peatland restoration projects that were deliverable in 2020/21.

Overall, in the following financial years we committed:

a) 2018/19 - £4,322,935.00

b) 2019/20 - £2,492,607.00

c) 2020/21- £7,351,476.50