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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take further steps to support the horticulture sector in developing responsibly-sourced high-quality alternatives to peat that can be produced at volume.

In 2011 we set a voluntary target for the horticulture sector to be peat-free by 2030. Since then, we have contributed towards research into peat-free alternatives including the Royal Horticultural Society’s five-year, £1 million project supporting the transition to peat-free. Forestry England have also invested significantly in developing peat-free production methods.

The Government and industry will continue to support a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media, which minimises any environmental footprint of peat alternatives.