To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of jobs in the UK conservation sector (a) (i) safeguarded and (ii) created through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund and (b) (i) at risk and (ii) lost as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

My department keeps under review the financial health of Defra-related sectors, including the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on jobs in these sectors.

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund will create and retain jobs in the conservation sector in England, while also delivering against a range of environmental outcomes.

The Government has recently confirmed that it will double the size of the fund by making an additional £40 million available. This could create and retain thousands of jobs, depending on the projects chosen for grant awards.