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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Forestry Commission is taking to reduce potential conflicts of interest arising from contracts to carry out wetland restoration projects; and if she will make a statement.

Potential conflict of interest is addressed by the existence of a formal partnership agreement which sets out the basis on which the Verderers of the New Forest, the Forestry Commission and the New Forest National Park Authority will work together to implement the Verderers’ New Forest Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Agreement. The partnership has appointed a project board to steer and oversee the implementation of the HLS agreement and the board’s terms of reference enable it to address any potential conflicts of interest.