Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
Third Report - Tree planting
Published 21 Mar 2022
Paragraph 66
Addressed to Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Tree Planting and Woodlands All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We were given reassurances that the closure of one of two Forestry England nurseries will not affect the overall ability of the nursery sector to produce enough trees. Given the challenges facing the sector, however, reducing the UK’s nursery capacity indicates a lack of policy co-ordination. We remain concerned about the additional pressure the closure may place on the sector and the possible reduction in our ability to manage risks to tree health. We believe that the Government should review the decision to close Wykeham nursery, given the need to maximise UK tree production and reduce our reliance on imports.
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Third Report - Tree planting (HC 356), paragraph 66, 21 March 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 June 2022 (deadline 21 May 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government 'welcomes the recommendations' in the Committee's report and says that in many cases it 'has already taken action, or is planning action' to address them.
- On annual targets, it sets a planned England planting profile rising from 2,500 hectares in 2021/22 to 7,500 hectares in 2024/25, which it says is back loaded to allow new grants to become embedded.
- On the Tenancy Working Group, it says "We agree with the recommendation" and has included tree planting by tenant farmers within the group's remit.
- On Wykeham nursery, it gives no commitment to review the closure. It says the decision was "carefully considered" and will not affect tree planting ambitions, and that the site is available to lease by competitive tender.
- On seasonal worker visas, it says 30,000 visas will be available in 2022, to be kept under review with potential to increase by 10,000 "if necessary". It says a nine-month visa "runs counter to the scheme being seasonal only".