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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of light pollution on the environment.

Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on the environment, including on insects and wider biodiversity, as well as global and national assessments of the drivers of environmental change more generally.

A range of measures are in place to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime and improvements in street lighting.

We will continue to take action both to minimise risks and to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution, including working with our academic partners to keep emerging evidence under review.