MPs and celebrities person urged ministers to bring guardant a prohibition connected the merchantability of peat compost to gardeners.
Former situation caput Theresa Villiers called for the substance to beryllium outlawed by 2024 to reconstruct peatlands, which are the UK's largest c sink.
She projected a Private Members' Bill yesterday which she said was intended to fulfil a committedness made by the Government successful 2022.
Her proposals won the backing of biology campaigners and celebrities disquieted astir the interaction peat extraction has connected peatlands.
Former situation caput Theresa Villiers called for the substance to beryllium outlawed by 2024 to reconstruct peatlands, which are the UK's largest c sink
MPs and celebrities person urged ministers to bring guardant a prohibition connected the merchantability of peat compost to gardeners (stock image)
Introducing the Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill yesterday, Ms Villiers claimed the UK's peatlands contained 'more c than the forests of the UK, France and Germany combined'.
However, she said little than 20 per cent of British peatlands are successful a near-natural state, with over-grazing and cultivation drainage among the contributing reasons.
Ms Villiers said her Bill was focused connected preventing peat extraction for horticulture, telling MPs: 'Extraction degrades the authorities of the wider landscape, damaging wildlife habitats and reducing peat's capableness to forestall flooding and tract water.
'And of people extraction means that stored c is released, contributing to clime change.
'This Bill would instrumentality the 2022 committedness made by this Government to prohibit the usage of peat products successful amateur gardening successful England by the extremity of this year.' The Bill is acceptable to beryllium considered again by MPs connected April 26, but is improbable to go instrumentality without the enactment of the Government.
As good arsenic c seizure and storage, peatlands supply situation to immoderate of the UK's astir threatened and uncommon wildlife.
Ms Villiers proposals won the backing of biology campaigners and celebrities disquieted astir the interaction peat extraction has connected peatlands (stock image)
They besides filter h2o and forestall flooding downstream, but draining, burning, and harvesting for compost, means lone 13 per cent are successful a near-perfect state.
The Government pledged successful 2022 that the merchantability of peat for backstage gardens and allotments would beryllium banned by the extremity of this Parliament successful 2024, but income stay legal.
Conservationists accidental this contributes to the demolition of peatland habitats successful the UK and crossed Europe.
A nationalist consultation, which received 5,000 responses, recovered 95 per cent of radical supported the ban.
Ms Villiers' connection was attacked by her workfellow Sir Christopher Chope, who said attempts to prohibition the merchantability of peat-based compost to gardeners are an 'exercise successful motion politics'.
The Christchurch MP besides claimed helium was making a 'plea connected behalf of amateur and nonrecreational horticulturalists', arsenic peat substitutes were often not arsenic effectual successful increasing plants.
He said: 'I deliberation it is important to enactment connected grounds that erstwhile the Bill is brought guardant it volition not spell unopposed, due to the fact that I deliberation that overmuch of the contented of this Bill which she has described seems to beryllium disproportionate, not based connected subject oregon fact, and different workout successful motion politics.' Sir Christopher likened the Bill to the smoking ban, saying it was 'another time erstwhile the banners look to privation to get retired determination and destruct morganatic activities that different radical are engaged in'.
Celebrities, however, person backed the ban, with histrion Alison Steadman, an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, saying: 'The Government is moving retired of clip to fulfil its committedness to prohibition the merchantability of peat to gardeners by the extremity of this parliament.
Ms Villiers' connection was attacked by her workfellow Sir Christopher Chope (pictured), who said attempts to prohibition the merchantability of peat-based compost to gardeners are an 'exercise successful motion politics'
'Peat belongs successful bogs not bags, and it's precocious clip that commitments to guarantee a prohibition are honoured.
'What's near of precious peatlands needs protecting and restoring, not despoiling.' The Royal Horticultural Society besides backed the Bill, with Professor Alistair Griffiths of the gardening foundation saying galore gardeners had already adopted peat-free practices.
A Defra spokesperson said: 'We are committed to ending the usage of horticultural peat. We hold determination is nary request to usage peat successful gardens and determination are present galore peat-free alternatives connected the market.
'Since we acceptable retired our proposals to prohibition the merchantability of peat successful 2022 we person seen a 59 per cent simplification successful peat usage crossed the country, and person worked extensively with manufacture to determination towards a afloat modulation to peat-free working.'
The Government volition acceptable retired its presumption connected the Bill erstwhile it reaches a 2nd reading, officials said.
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