I would like to thank those constituents who highlighted the All Party Parliamentary Group for Woods and Trees meeting which took place on 9 December.
Although I was unable to attend, I am keenly aware of the work it does to advance the protection, restoration and expansion of our trees and woodlands in the UK. I hope the meeting was well attended and provided a good opportunity to discuss matters further including the next stages of the Living Legends campaign in parliament. I agree it is vital our oldest, most important trees and woods are given the proper legal protection they deserve. You can find out more here:
Protect our Living Legends - Woodland Trust
The protection of our incredible woodlands is of huge importance to us here in Sussex and I will continue to support this issue as strongly as I did when I secured assurances that there would be increased protections for ancient woodlands back in 2017. I believe, as I always have, that greater respect should be given to these habitats so that we can hand on our precious green spaces to future generations.
As well as being wonderful spaces in themselves, with hugely beneficial impacts on our mental and physical health, trees protect us against flooding, provide habitats for our precious wildlife and are carbon capture machines. They are an important source of jobs, directly employing over 30,000 people and contributing more than £2 billion to our economy every year. In the face of climate change and the growing prevalence of pests and diseases, it is essential that we plant more trees and build their resilience while increasing protection of our existing, precious woodlands.
The last Government set ambitious tree planting targets and invested more than £750 million through the Nature for Climate Fund on peat restoration, woodland creation and management. Furthermore, the previous Government's England Trees Action Plan kickstarted tree planting and over 3,600 hectares of new woodland and trees outside of woodland was planted in 2022/23. This represented the highest woodland planting rate for nearly a decade and an almost 40 per cent increase on 2021/22.
I note that the Labour manifesto included a commitment to establish three new National Forests in England, and to plant millions of trees. Please rest assured that I will hold the new Government to account to ensure it delivers on this pledge.
