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To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many wildfires took place in moorland in the last five years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many wildfires took place in moorland in the last five years.
MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England including information on the fire type, location type and source of ignition.
However, wildfires are not currently a recorded fire type, and moorland is not a recorded location type. MHCLG does collect data on outdoor primary and secondary fires in FIRE0303. Outdoor fires by similar available outdoor location types such as “grassland, woodland and crops” are also available in this table.
MHCLG also collects data on primary fires by source of ignition in FIRE0602, which includes barbecues. Secondary fires are excluded as MHCLG does not collect details on cause of secondary fires. However, the data does not specify whether the barbecue was disposable. Therefore, MHCLG cannot provide figures specifically for fires attributed to disposable barbecues.
The number of primary fires in England where the source of ignition was recorded as “barbecue” in the last 5 years was:
- 346 in 2025/26
- 238 in 2024/25
- 267 in 2023/24
- 350 in 2022/23
- 291 in 2021/22
These figures should be interpreted as fires where “barbecue” was recorded as the source of ignition, rather than fires attributed to disposable barbecues.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect moorland from wildfires.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect moorland from wildfires.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will conduct a review of the Heather and Grass Management Code 2025 and assess the impact of a) grazing, b) mowing, and c) controlled winter burns on i) the prevalence and ii) the severity of wildfires...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will conduct a review of the Heather and Grass Management Code 2025 and assess the impact of a) grazing, b) mowing, and c) controlled winter burns on i) the prevalence and ii) the severity of wildfires...
This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The regulations are supported by the Heather and Grass Management Code 2025, which reflects the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management. The Government's focus is on supporting the effective implementation of the Code.
Defra invest in and review emerging research and evidence to inform Government policy and practice relating to wildfire. As part of its delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme, Defra has commissioned a wildfire and peatland study, which includes looking at the effectiveness of a range of peatland land management systems and practices in creating wildfire resilience including practices such as grazing, mowing and controlled burning as well as peat restoration. Defra will continue to monitor developments in the evidence base and engage with key stakeholders.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to mitigate the loss and fragmentation of open moorland habitats across the UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to mitigate the loss and fragmentation of open moorland habitats across the UK.
Moorland areas contain a wide variety of habitats and species of importance. We are committed, through grant programmes such as Landscape Recovery, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), to creating a network of bigger, better and more resilient habitats to help nature thrive. Additionally, Defra, in partnership with Dr Hilary Cottam OBE, has been working closely with upland communities across England to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities in these landscapes. These insights are being shared across Defra and next steps are being developed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the Fylingdales Moor fire on businesses that were (a) evacuated and (b) made inaccessible due to road closures; and what financial support will be made available to them.
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the Fylingdales Moor fire on businesses that were (a) evacuated and (b) made inaccessible due to road closures; and what financial support will be made available to them.
The Flood Recovery Framework is unique to flooding and only activated in exceptional circumstances. No assessment has been made of the merits of establishing a similar scheme for wildfire incidents. There are a range of potential support mechanisms from across Government for local areas following significant emergency response incidents that are being explored.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assist landowners in coordinating and accessing relevant grants and schemes for the long-term moorland restoration required following the Fylingdales Moor fire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assist landowners in coordinating and accessing relevant grants and schemes for the long-term moorland restoration required following the Fylingdales Moor fire.
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) helps farmers navigate the range of grants and schemes to support increased productivity and managing land to benefit the environment and rural areas. Specifically, actions to support moorland restoration sit within the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Natural England and Forestry Commission are providing pre-application advice and supporting customers with applications for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. Where there has been an impact on an existing agreement, then we would advise agreement holders to contact the RPA or Natural England in the first instance.
Letter dated 24/11/2025 from Lord Katz to the Earl of Caithness regarding issues raised during the debate on the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025: air quality, consultation. 2p.
Letter dated 24/11/2025 from Lord Katz to the Earl of Caithness regarding issues raised during the debate on the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025: air quality, consultation. 2p.
Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.
Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.
My Lords, for thousands of years, mankind has used fire to control vegetation. It is a sensible and practical process that also benefits nature. In this country, we tend to burn heather and grass in a prescribed manner and, if done correctly and under careful regulation, with practitioners trained in...
My Lords, for thousands of years, mankind has used fire to control vegetation. It is a sensible and practical process that also benefits nature. In this country, we tend to burn heather and grass in a prescribed manner and, if done correctly and under careful regulation, with practitioners trained in...
My Lords, I am pleased to support the Motion in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Caithness. There are indeed matters to regret in the manner—and especially the timing—of these regulations. I cannot claim the experience that other Members of this House doubtless have in dealing with those very...
My Lords, I am pleased to support the Motion in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Caithness. There are indeed matters to regret in the manner—and especially the timing—of these regulations. I cannot claim the experience that other Members of this House doubtless have in dealing with those very...
My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on bringing this extremely important matter to your Lordships’ attention, and I support his Motion. I declare my interest as a member of the GWCT, the BASC and the Countryside Alliance.
As my noble friend has alluded to, 2025 has seen almost 48,000 hectares...
My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on bringing this extremely important matter to your Lordships’ attention, and I support his Motion. I declare my interest as a member of the GWCT, the BASC and the Countryside Alliance.
As my noble friend has alluded to, 2025 has seen almost 48,000 hectares...
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Caithness for securing this regret Motion debate on heather and grass burning restrictions as laid out in the Government’s statutory instrument; I support it wholeheartedly. Like the noble Earl, Lord Shrewsbury, I declare my interests: my membership of GWCT, BASC and Countryside...
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Caithness for securing this regret Motion debate on heather and grass burning restrictions as laid out in the Government’s statutory instrument; I support it wholeheartedly. Like the noble Earl, Lord Shrewsbury, I declare my interests: my membership of GWCT, BASC and Countryside...
My Lords, as a life Peer, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Caithness for tabling this Motion, which has enabled us in this House to hear from the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, and my noble friends Lord Shrewsbury and Lord Leicester,
three hereditary Peers—four, including my noble friend Lord Caithness—who...
My Lords, as a life Peer, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Caithness for tabling this Motion, which has enabled us in this House to hear from the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, and my noble friends Lord Shrewsbury and Lord Leicester,
three hereditary Peers—four, including my noble friend Lord Caithness—who...
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Caithness for moving this debate, which touches on many important issues. Following on from my noble friend Lord Blencathra, I had to look this up, but when we have four of a kind in a row, it is a...
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Caithness for moving this debate, which touches on many important issues. Following on from my noble friend Lord Blencathra, I had to look this up, but when we have four of a kind in a row, it is a...
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, for introducing this Motion and all noble Lords who contributed to this debate. I am particularly grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for telling us that we have had a haul of Earls from the Back Benches. I did not...
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, for introducing this Motion and all noble Lords who contributed to this debate. I am particularly grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for telling us that we have had a haul of Earls from the Back Benches. I did not...
Professor Heinemeyer’s research shows that there is actually a higher water table where controlled burning takes place, which is contrary to what the Minister just said.
Professor Heinemeyer’s research shows that there is actually a higher water table where controlled burning takes place, which is contrary to what the Minister just said.
I appreciate that intervention and may address some of that in my answers. I believe that this also relates to the Mars bar test, which was a new phenomenon to me, but we will come to that.
The noble Earls, Lord Caithness and Lord Lytton, talked about the timing of this...
I appreciate that intervention and may address some of that in my answers. I believe that this also relates to the Mars bar test, which was a new phenomenon to me, but we will come to that.
The noble Earls, Lord Caithness and Lord Lytton, talked about the timing of this...
My Lords, I am extremely grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, bringing their experience and knowledge to make it a very useful debate. It was wonderful to hear about Exmoor. It was very interesting to hear from the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, and my...
My Lords, I am extremely grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, bringing their experience and knowledge to make it a very useful debate. It was wonderful to hear about Exmoor. It was very interesting to hear from the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, and my...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether new Sustainable Farming Incentives will take into account the potential impacts of grazing moorland on controlling monocultures.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether new Sustainable Farming Incentives will take into account the potential impacts of grazing moorland on controlling monocultures.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers and land managers to carry out actions that support the sustainable production of food and boost farm productivity and resilience, while protecting and enhancing the environment. Upland farmers play a key role in delivering sustainable food production and our environmental targets.
We will provide further details about the reformed SFI offer later this year.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what evidential basis reducing the number of (a) Dartmoor ponies and (b) other livestock will effectively control overgrazing on Dartmoor.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what evidential basis reducing the number of (a) Dartmoor ponies and (b) other livestock will effectively control overgrazing on Dartmoor.
All prospective Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme offers have been assessed for their potential impact against a range of environmental and cultural services, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity indicators. These have included qualitative assessments, drawing upon expert opinion and evidence reviews, as well as quantitative assessments, drawing upon published datasets.
Through the new Countryside Stewardship Hier Tier offer we will be providing payment for grazing with both cattle and ponies and making both cattle and ponies eligible under the native breeds at risk supplement. We are thereby removing the competition between the two as recommended in the Dartmoor review. We have also made it clear within the new offer that ponies are exempt from stock removal requirements, in recognition that removal of ponies from moorland is neither feasible nor desirable in most circumstances.
We cannot, exclude either cattle or ponies from stocking density calculations. All livestock contribute to the overall grazing pressure exerted on moorland. On some moorland habitats (such as peatland), it is necessary to graze with low stocking densities to support habitat restoration and maintenance. If any livestock are excluded from the stocking density calculation, then over grazing would result. This would prevent us achieving desired improvements in habitat condition.