Environment Protection: Regulation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of environmental regulation since 2010 on trends in environmental outcomes, including the condition of protected sites, species recovery and wildfire incidence.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The England and UK Biodiversity Indicators are published annually and the latest annual update (England) was published on 2 December 2025.
Figures on the condition and extent of protected areas and trends since 2016 can be found here while those those for species can be found here.
On 22 January 2026 Defra published its 2019-24 Habitat Regulations implementation report for England. It evaluates how conservation measures have supported the protection and restoration of biodiversity. It succeeds the reporting obligation previously required under the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives respectively.
Defra does not hold details on wildfire incidence. MHCLG is responsible for fire policy and operations.
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