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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to review funding for the (a) conservation and (b) management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to increase their (i) environmental and (ii) recreational value.

National Landscape teams are powerful delivery partners, bringing together outcomes for nature, climate and communities.

We understand resourcing remains a challenge and recognise that the Defra core grant is an essential foundation for National Landscapes’ work. We want to work closely with National Landscape teams to support their proven ability to innovate, drawing on their expertise, knowledge and partnerships with farmers, businesses and communities across England.

We are committed to working with National Landscape organisations to ensure they are sustainably resourced to fulfil their statutory role and we will shortly begin a wider discussion about how we fund these places and organisations.