Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Monday, 23 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 April 2026. It was answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour) on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Lighting: Pollution Control

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of international dark sky reserves.

Answer: The UK has some of the best, earliest, and largest number of designated Dark Skies Areas in Europe. This includes Exmoor National Park, which was the first designated Dark Sky Reserve in Europe; and Northumberland, which has been awarded the Dark Sky Gold Tier, indicating natural, non-polluted or near-natural night skies. A survey into the designation of the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, for example, reported a positive impact on the local economy. There have been no recent assessments of the benefits by Defra.

Secondary information