In the Lords

The noble Lord is right in that, from 1970 to 2016 the relative abundance of priority species in the UK saw a dramatic decline of around 60%

The Government stand ready to support whatever action is necessary to boost biodiversity in this country and to reverse the depressing trend

I always welcome debate, particularly around the issue of our magnificent overseas territories.

The noble Baroness is right.

We do not dispute that protected areas, which include protected sites and landscapes and other measures, need to be better managed.

It is absolutely correct to say that we have failed to meet those Aichi targets.

We are aware of reports that there has been an increase in wildlife crime, particularly that associated with raptor persecution, during lock

I certainly agree with the noble Lord that raw sewage should only ever be released into water systems as a last resort and in exceptional c

The Environment Agency takes water quality samples at all designated bathing waters during the bathing season.

Those reports were based on comments by Sir James Bevan, but they were inaccurate; in fact, they were entirely wrong.