My Department broadly welcomes the European Union soils strategy and fully supports the vision of the strategy to achieve healthy soil ecosystems by 2050. Many of the objectives and actions are in line with existing policy and targets including the EU Biodiversity strategy 2030, the Climate adaption plan, along with the Common Agricultural Policy. The recently launched National Soil Sampling programme will provide detailed soil analysis which will allow farmers to adopt sustainable soil management practices, in order to maintain or restore soil to a healthy condition, as described in the strategy. We will continue to engage with our colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications who are the lead government department in this matter.