Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Tuesday, 20 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 January 2012. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Butterfly Conservation: Finance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had any discussions with Natural England on the effect on species recovery work of funding reductions to the charity Butterfly Conservation; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Ministers have had no specific discussions with Natural England on the effects on species recovery work of reducing grant support to Butterfly Conservation. It is for Natural England to decide how it deploys its available grant in aid to best support its objectives.Natural England, however, continues to have discussions with Butterfly Conservation over the work needed to achieve the outcomes in the Government's new Biodiversity 2020 Strategy and has increased funding to it in 2011-12 by £100,000 for high priority projects.

Secondary information