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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of investment zones with (a) habitat and biodiversity legislation (b) his Department's biodiversity obligations under the Environment Act 2021.

Defra and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government's strong position on the environment. We are not weakening our environmental ambition either at home or abroad and remain committed to delivering on the Environment Act, including setting a new legally binding target to halt the decline of species abundance in England by 2030.