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Written question asked by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party) on Friday, 19 May 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 June 2023. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 May 2023 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Soil: Microbiology

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) soil microbe community diversity, and (2) the change in this diversity over time.

Answer

The Government’s second statutory Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), published on 31st January 2023, builds on the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. It sets out the actions that will drive us towards reaching our long-term environmental targets and goals, including improving and protecting soil health.

This is aided by substantial new Government investment over three years towards delivering the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme. Soil monitoring as part of the NCEA programme will yield valuable new data to improve understanding of national soil condition, including soil microbial activity, and set up long-term monitoring capability to track change over time.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL7965
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Microbiology Soil
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk