Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the status of the next DEFRA stakeholder engagement survey; whether it will cover access to nature and outdoor recreation; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The annual stakeholder engagement survey is now closed, and the results are currently being reviewed. The survey covers issues across the Defra brief, including nature and outdoor recreation.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature's report entitled, Outdoors For All.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government welcomes the All Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature's report and agrees with the report’s conclusion that time spent outdoors is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing. We are committed to expanding opportunities for people to connect with nature. Our current initiatives include the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, helping to bring nature closer to communities across the country. We are actively shaping policy to support wider access to nature, working in collaboration with other departments and key delivery partners.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of increasing public access to the outdoors on public health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises health and wellbeing benefits of outdoor access and is taking action to increase opportunities for everyone to engage with nature through nine new national river walks and three new national forests.
We work closely with DHSC to embed improved access to nature as part of preventative healthcare through, initiatives such as green social prescribing.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered including child development in the planning process to encourage outdoor activities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognises that access to a network of high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities, including children.
The Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities, and opportunities for new provision, including places for children’s play.
In the revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 we strengthened the strong protections already in place by adding explicit reference to safeguarding “formal play spaces”. That means that facilities can be lost only where there is clear evidence they are no longer required, where equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location, or where development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase access to nature for young people.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to increasing access to nature for all, especially young people. In 2024, Defra invested £4.45 million in a second phase of the Generation Green programme, enabling over 25,000 disadvantaged children and young people to experience the natural environment. While Environmental Land Management schemes don’t specifically target youth, a new three-year capital item supports educational access to farmland and woodland for school groups and care farming initiatives.
Defra also leads a cross-Government Children and Nature Working Group to share best practices on improving outcomes for young people through nature. The £16 million Access for All programme has funded inclusive facilities like pedal and play areas for young people.
Most of the 254,000-hectare public forest estate managed by Forestry England is open to the public, welcoming 313 million visits annually. England’s 15 Community Forests, supported by the Nature for Climate Fund, engage schools and community groups in tree planting and outdoor learning—53% of England’s population lives within 10 miles of one.
Additionally, on 15 May 2025, DCMS announced £4.7 million to increase access to outdoor learning. The competition for the Adventures Away from Home delivery partner is live and closes on 15 July 2025.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Natural England on the potential merits of increasing access to nature in order to benefit physical and mental health.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We have also committed to ensuring that everyone lives within a 15-minute walk of a green or blue space. Delivering this commitment will drive increased access to nature for both physical and mental health.
We work closely with Natural England on delivering enhanced access to nature and hold regular discussions on this topic. For example, we collaborate closely on delivery of the King Charles III England Coast Path, the new Coast to Coast National Trail, and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework. We will continue to work together as we drive forward our commitments in this area.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of greater access to the countryside on (a) mental and (b) physical health.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the significant mental and physical health benefits that greater access to the countryside can provide. Spending time in nature is associated with improved mental and physical health, including lowering the risk of obesity and type two diabetes, reducing blood pressure and increasing levels of physical activity. There is also evidence to suggest that nature-based interventions are effective in the treatment and prevention of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety; this was demonstrated in the first phase of our Green Social Prescribing programme, which showed significant increases in participants’ wellbeing scores.
These health benefits in turn deliver economic benefit and reduce pressure on the NHS. In 2020, the estimated value of health benefits associated with outdoor recreation in the UK ranged from £6.2 billion to £8.4 billion (ONS, 2022), and it has been estimated that £2.1 billion in health costs could be saved annually if everyone in England had good access to greenspace (Natural England, 2009).
In recognition of these benefits, this Government has committed to improving the public’s access to green and blue spaces, including through initiatives such as our National River Walks.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential contribution of the greenbelt to adjacent urban communities to health and recreational opportunities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Access to high quality open spaces, whether located inside or outside the Green Belt, is important for the health and well-being of communities. That is why local authorities are asked to base their planning policies on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities, and opportunities for new provision.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields and formal play spaces, should not be built on unless there is clear evidence they are no longer required; equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location; or development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
Within the Green Belt, major development is required to provide new or improved green spaces accessible to the public. Authorities should also look for opportunities to enhance the beneficial use of Green Belt land, including outdoor recreation.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of people (a) accessing national trails and (b) participating in outdoor activities on the cost to the public purse of providing NHS treatment.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that promoting regular outdoor activity is a vital component of preventative health, as it fosters physical activity, reduces the risk of long term conditions, supports mental well-being, and strengthens community health by encouraging active lifestyles and social engagement in natural environments.
The 2017 baseline assessment covering the economic and health impacts of walking on English coastal paths found that for the 29 million leisure walking trips taken in 2017, the total benefit to the recreational wellbeing of people using the paths was valued at an estimated £1.8 billion.
A 2021 study identified that the physical health benefits of active visitors to National Trails are estimated in the range £186 million to £423 million per year, which represents cost savings to the NHS of between £46 and £107 million per year. Outdoor exercise overall delivers estimated health benefits to adults in England of between £2.0 and £4.7 billion annually.
It is clear from this evidence that there are significant benefits through improved access to national trails and engagement in outdoor activities. We will continue to work with other Government departments to embed access to nature as part of community-based preventative care approaches, in support of the Government’s Health Mission.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the social value of the use of (a) outdoor areas and (b) waterways for (i) the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and (ii) other youth services.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing, including that of young adults, and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We will make further announcements on plans to develop policy on access to nature in due course.
In addition the Government is providing funding to deliver a second phase of Generation Green, to help more disadvantaged children and young people experience the benefits of the great outdoors.
This Government also recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives. Youth services, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, utilise outdoor areas and waterways to provide young people with opportunities to take part in activities such as hiking, canoeing, kayaking, cycling and climbing, as well as a range of volunteering opportunities. These experiences help build participants' core skills for life and work and support their mental and physical well-being.
Use of inland waterways specifically for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or other youth services, and any assessment of their social value for these purposes specifically, are matters for local arrangement with navigation authorities or other waterway owners.