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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between tree canopy cover in urban areas and measurable outcomes for public health.

The Government recognise the link between mental and physical wellbeing and access to nature. Natural England research shows that we could save the NHS more than £2 billion a year if everyone had good access to green space. Urban green spaces alone support 2.1 million people to meet their weekly physical activity guidelines, avoiding health service costs of around £1.4 billion.

Forest Research has estimated that one additional tree per kilometre of street is associated with 1.18 fewer medical prescriptions per thousand population. If this represents a causal relationship it would translate to a value of £16 million of UK urban street trees through avoided antidepressant costs.