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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to introduce legally binding targets for the restoration of Sites of Special Scientific Interest to favourable condition.

The Government has no plans to introduce legally binding targets for the restoration of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) to favourable condition.

The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets a non-legally binding interim target for 50% of SSSI features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition by December 2030, supporting the wider ambition for 75% of protected sites to be in favourable condition by 2042.

The Department is focused on action to improve protected sites and does not consider a separate statutory target necessary.