Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Paragraph: 59
No such system yet exists to restore the UK’s greatly depleted natural environment.
Conclusion
No such system yet exists to restore the UK’s greatly depleted natural environment. It is thus unsurprising that the UK failed to achieve at least 14 of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the Government is not on track to achieve its goal to provide the next generation with a better natural environment.
Paragraph Reference:
59
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government’s response to the EAC Inquiry on Invasive Species was published in May 2020. Our subsequent action includes initial work this year to scope and pilot the potential role of an inspectorate to step up our response to prevent and control the spread of invasive non-native species, with funding of £300,000 from Defra, and additional contributions from the Welsh Government of £40,000 and the Scottish Government of £20,000. In total, this year the Government is spending over £1 million on biosecurity for invasive non-native species in Great Britain. We have recently let a new contract to Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, to continue their work to develop cost-effective, long-term, and species-specific biocontrol methods for floating pennywort, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan Balsam and Australian swamp stonecrop. As we announced in the England Trees Action Plan, we will also provide funding to support UK public and private sector nurseries and seed suppliers to enhance the quantity, quality, diversity and biosecurity of domestic tree production. This will include capital grants and support to augment investment and stimulate innovation. We will also support and promote the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, encouraging more UK growers to become members. Furthermore, we will publish a new GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy by 2022 and drive higher international standards of biosecurity. All these measures will contribute to improved biosecurity within the UK. Following our departure from the EU we have retained the Invasive Alien Species Regulation in domestic law, put in place a GB Invasive Non-Native Species Committee to advise Ministers of all 3 GB administrations, and expanded the GB invasive non-native species Programme Board to be UK wide to improve coordination and collaboration with Northern Ireland. We have also commissioned a review of our GB Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy and will be refreshing the strategy in 2022. Measuring biodiversity (recommendations 5-10)