Paragraph 118 of the National Planning Policy Framework provides strong protection for irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland and veteran trees.

We are consulting on placing our policy on ancient woodland and veteran trees alongside other national policies, for example Green Belt, which the government regards as providing a strong reason to restrict development when preparing plans, or which indicate that development should be restricted when making decisions on planning applications.

The consultation closes on 2 May, and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fixing-our-broken-housing-market-consultation.

The National Planning Policy Framework recognises the importance of access to high quality open spaces. It explains that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the needs for open space, sports and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision.

The Framework also encourages local communities, through local and neighbourhood plans, to identify green areas of particular importance to them for special protection by designating them as Local Green Space.

The Framework is clear that local authorities should set out a strategic approach in their Local Plans, planning positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure

In addition, when granting planning permission local planning authorities have a duty to ensure, whenever appropriate, that planning conditions are used to provide for tree preservation and planting.

The Government’s plans for tackling air quality are set out in the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, which was published in December 2015 and will be revised by 31 July this year. The Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) is considering further the evidence around the potential of trees to contribute to improvements in air quality to inform our further policy development. The AQEG is an Expert Committee to Defra that provides independent scientific advice on air quality.

While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we note the particular sensitivities around olive trees given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have repeatedly raised with the Israeli authorities our concerns about incidents of settler violence (including the destruction of olive trees) and intimidation, including the importance of bringing the extremist settlers responsible to justice and of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Defra has conducted a review into the evidence base for agroforestry and how the agroforestry measure could operate within the Rural Development Programme. The review is being finalised and will be published shortly.

The Government continues to fund and support research into the utility of trees in flood prevention through the Defra/Environment Agency ‘Working with Natural Processes’ research programme, and the Forestry Commission’s Science and Innovation Strategy.

Forest Research, the Forestry Commission’s Research Agency, is conducting a number of medium and long-term projects on this topic, often in partnership with water regulators, universities and end users. These cover process, modelling, economic and mapping studies designed to quantify and demonstrate how woodland can contribute to flood risk management. Operational synthesis of existing research is currently being used as the basis for designing and targeting forestry’s contribution to help protect ‘communities at risk’ under the Cumbria Floods Action Plan.

One flagship project led by Forest Research is the ‘Slowing the Flow’ at Pickering study. This is evaluating how the integrated application of a range of land use and management measures can alleviate flooding, including woodland creation and the use of large woody structures.

Other studies are underway in the catchments of the River Parrett in Somerset, River Irthing in Northumberland and River Usk in Wales, to provide evidence of how woodland and woodland management can affect flood risk.

We are committed to doing all we can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders and to build the resilience of our trees and plants. From 2012 to 2019 we will have invested more than £37 million into tree health research, including studying the interactions between horse chestnut leaf miner and other pests.

Our approach, led by the Government Chief Plant Health Officer, involves the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging risks, which are listed in the Plant Health Risk Register.

This includes pests and diseases which can affect horse chestnut trees, such as moths like the horse chestnut leaf miner. This is listed in the Risk Register with, after current mitigations, a relative risk rating of 24 (out of a possible 125). Horse chestnut leaf miner larvae can damage horse chestnut leaves on an annual basis, causing leaves to turn brown and fall earlier than usual. However, on its own the pest does not significantly impair trees' health and affected trees will usually grow normally the following spring. Removing fallen leaves during autumn and winter and composting or covering them can help reduce damage by destroying pupae and preventing adult moths emerging the next spring.

Defra is acting to protect native tree species from a range of threats. Current examples include:

• it is an offence to fell trees without a licence if an exemption does not apply;

• the particular value and irreplaceable nature of ancient woodlands and veteran trees is recognised in the National Planning Policy Framework;

• we use the UK Plant Health Risk Register to identify, assess and tackle tree pests and diseases at source (pre-border), at the border and inland, including several that threaten native trees;

• investing more than £37million into tree health research between 2012 and 2019;

• support for some landowners on specific tree diseases and measures to support squirrel control through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme;

• working with the Squirrel Accord to deliver the December 2014 grey squirrel action plan for England;

• funding the Deer Initiative to reduce the negative impact of deer in priority woodlands and support; and

• Forestry Commission advice on how native woodlands can be adapted to be more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Upholding plant biosecurity is a key priority for my department and we have taken a number of measures to reduce the risk of introduction of pests and diseases.

We have invested over £26 million into tree health research. Our long-term national strategy to tackle tree and plant disease is based on science, international best practice and advice of the UK Chief Plant Health Officer. We have also invested more than any other country in research on Ash Dieback and are conducting the world’s largest screening trials to identify a disease-tolerant tree.

We are promoting biosecurity internationally, at UK borders, and inland targeted inspections at the border to intercept high risk trades.

There are regulations on importing plants and products from outside the UK where it is known that certain pests or pathogens are present. These are updated regularly, in response to new evidence. We are working collaboratively with the international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country, and mitigate the impact of newly established pests.

Our approach to tackling plant and tree pests and diseases also includes:

• Identifying and assessing new threats using the UK Plant Health Risk Register; and
• Targeted import inspections at ports and airports combined with inland surveillance.

The Forestry Commission provides advice to woodland managers about how best to manage and adapt to tree pests and diseases. The Animal and Plant Health Agency provide similar advice for the nursery sector, including how to build resilience to pests and diseases.

Support is available for some landowners on specific tree diseases through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, subject to grant conditions.

The Forest Reproductive Material (Great Britain) Regulations 2002 regulate the marketing of forest reproductive material (FRM). There is no notification period for the introduction of FRM so no such assessment has been carried out.

The Plant and Tree Notification System requirements relates to the movement of certain tree species from other EU member states and extends to oak, plane, sweet chestnut, pine, elm, prunus and ash trees (although no movements of ash trees are permitted at present, due to ash dieback restrictions).

The scheme is intended to help the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate build intelligence about particular trades, particularly those where there is a risk of introducing harmful organisms, and to help arrange targeted inspections of such trees. The information is also valuable in the event of an outbreak, to facilitate tracing of trees which may be implicated, and to help inform the development of Defra policy. The scheme is not restricted to trees intended for forestry purposes.

Notification of importation of plants and trees should be before or within 5 days of the arrival of the consignment, detailing the planned destination in England or Wales.

In 2013/14, 4.51 million tonnes of woody biomass were used to generate electricity. 32% of this was from UK sources, 68% was imported. We do not hold data on the number of trees felled each year for use as biofuel, or the number of trees planted each year to be used as biofuel.

The Government is committed to doing all it can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders. We work collaboratively with the international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to raise awareness and reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country.

Evidence suggests that campaigns to raise awareness amongst travellers should place emphasis on pre-border communications, consistent with action at the border to reinforce messages and make compliance easier and target specific risk groups.

At UK points of entry, Border Force display the rules on what travellers can bring in on leaflets, posters and plasma screens to make compliance and action at the border easier to enforce. Defra and Border Force are committed to work together and reduce illegal imports of biosecurity risk material by strengthening effectiveness and efficiency of import controls and targeting risk material at the border.

Defra will continue with social media-led public information campaigns over the summer months targeted at travellers to make them aware of the strict rules in place to protect Britain from pests and diseases that affect plants.