Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with Chester Zoo on global conservation and species recovery work.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the important role Chester Zoo plays in global conservation and species recovery. Chester Zoo has a strong partnership with Defra through the Darwin Initiative, which funds some of the zoo’s international conservation efforts. Since 2007, Chester Zoo has delivered 10 Darwin-funded projects worth £2 million across five countries, focusing on human-wildlife conflict, forest restoration, and community livelihoods. It has also partnered on a Darwin Plus project in Montserrat to help save the critically endangered mountain chicken frog.
In addition, Chester Zoo is an active stakeholder under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) through the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and undertakes significant work to support the conservation of CITES-listed species.
New rounds of Defra’s challenge funds, including the Darwin Initiative and Darwin Plus, are expected to open in 2026 for applications, and we would welcome applications from Chester Zoo.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recognition and support they will give to schemes that promote conservation and recovery of threatened native species, including the harvest dormouse, the large heath butterfly and other endangered species.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to delivering our statutory biodiversity targets including supporting the recovery of threatened species such as the harvest dormouse and large heath butterfly. A key delivery programme for threatened species in England is Natural England’s (NE) Species Recovery Programme which, since the early 1990s, has funded targeted action for over 1000 species and prevented the national extinction of at least 35.
From April 2023 to March 2026, the Species Recovery Programme allocated £32.2 million to projects which supported recovery of more than 600 species. In October 2025, NE launched a call for ideas for projects to be funded by the Programme. Shortlisted projects will shortly be invited to apply for funding over the next three years.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute environmental crimes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Environmental crimes and prosecutions are generally undertaken by the Environment Agency (EA) as the Environmental Regulator and not by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS does prosecute some particular environmental crimes, for the police's National Wildlife Crime Unit, such as in relation to poaching and even CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Where appropriate, and where there is linked offending, the EA can coordinate investigations into suspected environmental offending with other bodies, including the police.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has conducted an impact assessment on UK musicians regarding the additional CITES permit requirements that an Appendix I listing would require, including travel, touring logistics, and compliance impacts.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS has not conducted a formal impact assessment on UK musicians regarding the additional CITES permit requirements that an Appendix I listing would require.
Consultation on CITES proposals are led by DEFRA, who engaged extensively with the music sector and DCMS Officials ahead of the recent COP20 to understand potential implications of uplisting Brazilwood (Pernambuco) to Appendix I. This evidence informed the UK’s position to oppose an uplisting as it would have imposed significant negative impacts through increased administrative burdens and restrictions on the movement of finished bows, without delivering a clear conservation benefit.
Asked by: Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour - Smethwick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle UK companies profiting from the trophy hunting of endangered animals.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing an immediate moratorium on the importing of trophies of endangered species.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to a ban on the import of hunting trophies. Having examined the options to deliver this, the Department has determined that legislating a robust ban on trophy hunting is the most effective approach the Government can take. We are currently engaging with a range of stakeholders and will confirm legislative timetables once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is in place.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deliver on the ambitions of the International Fungal Conservation Pledge through domestic policies; and what assessment they have made of the merits of action to better protect fungi.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government co-launched the pledge with the Chilean Government and remains committed to promoting action that recognises the vital role fungi plays in the ecosystem. Domestically, Natural England are leading a consortium of experts (including Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot, RBG Kew, Aberystwyth University, the British Mycological Society) to develop the first Great Britain Red List of non-lichenised fungi in 15 years, identifying species most at risk and requiring protection. In August, Natural England published the Threatened Species Recovery Actions (TSRA) which includes measures for 155 fungi and lichen species, alongside work on reintroductions and improving data access. UK government also supports the new Network for Fungal Conservation, which brings together agencies, NGOs and experts to embed fungi in nature recovery plans. The UK is also playing a leading role in research that will enhance our understanding of the evolution of fungi and the role they play in ecosystems, including through work at RBG Kew, where Defra funding is supporting the DNA sequencing of the world's largest fungarium (collection of fungi). Internationally, we are leading a proposal to ensure fungi are better recognised within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at this year’s Conference of the Parties (CoP20) and continue to engage with experts through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the protection of chalk streams in North West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chalk streams are incredible source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife – from chalk salmon to trout, they are home to beloved and endangered species.
The Government recognises the importance of protecting these globally rare habitats.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent offences against protected species.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously and there is a range of legislation in place to protect it. Most notably, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales.
Under this Act, as well as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and species-specific legislation such as the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, there are a range of offences around deliberate attempts to kill, injure or inflict harm on protected species of wildlife.
Additionally, Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £424,000 for NWCU in the financial year 2025-26.
Furthermore, the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations (WTRs) implement the UK’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure trade in protected species is legal and sustainable. Breaches can lead to prosecution with penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment or unlimited fines, providing a strong deterrent against wildlife crime.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce crimes against (a) endangered species and (b) other wildlife.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime, including in rural areas, and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.
This financial year, we are continuing to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit who provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.
They are also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity, tackling the illegal trade of endangered species.