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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposed biodiversity net gain exemptions for brownfield residential development on communities with the least access to nature.

The Biodiversity Net Gain consultation on a potential additional targeted exemption for certain residential brownfield development closed on 10 June 2026. All responses and evidence submissions are being analysed and this Government will respond to the consultation in due course. If any regulatory changes are confirmed in the response, the Better Regulations Framework and the equality impacts will be considered under the Public Sector Equality Duty.