Forests: Environment Protection
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' press release entitled Government steps up action to tackle illegal deforestation, published on 23 June 2026, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of UK businesses that will be subject to the proposed due diligence requirements.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Government will consult businesses, trade bodies and other interested parties on the proposed due diligence requirements and will carefully consider the evidence and consultation responses when developing the final legislation. A full Impact Assessment will be prepared and published in line with the Better Regulation Framework, assessing the costs, benefits and wider impacts of the proposals, including the number and types of businesses that may be affected. As policy development is ongoing, no final estimate has yet been made of the number or proportion of UK businesses that will be subject to the proposed requirements.
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