Written question asked by Joe Morris (Labour) on Friday, 20 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Monday, 2 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Moorland

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to mitigate the loss and fragmentation of open moorland habitats across the UK.

Answer: Moorland areas contain a wide variety of habitats and species of importance. We are committed, through grant programmes such as Landscape Recovery, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), to creating a network of bigger, better and more resilient habitats to help nature thrive. Additionally, Defra, in partnership with Dr Hilary Cottam OBE, has been working closely with upland communities across England to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities in these landscapes. These insights are being shared across Defra and next steps are being developed.

Secondary information