Written Question · S6W-06480 · Session 6
How many (a) hectares of peatland and (b) tonnes of peat have been extracted in Scotland in each year since 2007.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) hectares of peatland and (b) tonnes of peat have been extracted in Scotland in each year since 2007.
The answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. Data on mineral extraction in Great Britain for the period 2009 – 2014 is available online at Minerals surveys
- GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ) and from 1999 to 2008 can be found on the Office for National Statistics website. Further data on UK and export sales of peat sourced from Scotland since 2011 is gathered for the UK Growing Media Monitor ( https://hta.org.uk/associations-committees-groups/growing-media-association/gma-research ) and provides insight into the volumes of peat extracted for horticulture in Scotland, the main end use of extracted peat.
The Scottish Government are committed to banning the sale of peat related gardening products, as part of our wider commitment to phase out the use of peat in horticulture, and we are currently preparing to consult on this issue. Our draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for new commercial peat extraction, including extensions to existing sites, should not be supported unless the extracted peat is supporting an industry of national importance to Scotland.
We will also give consideration, through our peatland restoration programme, to whether and what further data may be required to support future monitoring of progress against targets.
- GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ) and from 1999 to 2008 can be found on the Office for National Statistics website. Further data on UK and export sales of peat sourced from Scotland since 2011 is gathered for the UK Growing Media Monitor ( https://hta.org.uk/associations-committees-groups/growing-media-association/gma-research ) and provides insight into the volumes of peat extracted for horticulture in Scotland, the main end use of extracted peat.
The Scottish Government are committed to banning the sale of peat related gardening products, as part of our wider commitment to phase out the use of peat in horticulture, and we are currently preparing to consult on this issue. Our draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for new commercial peat extraction, including extensions to existing sites, should not be supported unless the extracted peat is supporting an industry of national importance to Scotland.
We will also give consideration, through our peatland restoration programme, to whether and what further data may be required to support future monitoring of progress against targets.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-06480 by reference.