Written question asked by Victoria Atkins (Conservative) on Monday, 26 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Monday, 2 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Peatlands: Controlled Burning
- Question
-
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 on the number of wildfires, including their incidence, scale, and severity.
- Answer
-
Burning is damaging to peatlands and can increase their long-term vulnerability to wildfires, while wetter, healthy-functioning peatlands are more resilient to the impacts of wildfire. In developing the Amendments to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021, the Department considered the potential impacts of burning practices on wildfire risk, drawing on published evidence, responses to the public consultation and engagement with the National Fire Chiefs Council, and Fire and Rescue Services.
The Regulations enhance protection of upland peatlands by expanding restrictions on burning practices, with the aim of reducing long‑term wildfire risk and improving landscape resilience.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 108250
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Fires Controlled burning Peatlands
- Legislation
- Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-02-02 11:57:47 +0000
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-26/108250
- In Indexing
- http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-26/108250
- In Solr
- https://search.parliament.uk/claw/solr/?id=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-26/108250