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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 6 July (HL719), what assessment they have made of the biodiversity and potential nature conservation value of freehold property identified as a prospective asset sale by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, its Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies.

All sites that have been identified as surplus and appear on the list in question have undergone rigorous consultation prior to being declared surplus.

Where appropriate in-house conservation and biodiversity specialists are consulted before assets are formally declared surplus. This allows for any conservation or biodiversity value or potential to be identified and managed. This can include land being disposed with appropriate easements in place to protect the biodiversity of the asset.