Fires: Rural Areas
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the level of risk of wildfires to heathland, woodland and agricultural land in rural constituencies.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Government recognises that wildfires can pose risks to natural habitats and protected species, including heathland, woodland, and agricultural land. To address this risk, the Government is strengthening its approach to wildfire resilience. Defra is working with MHCLG, the lead department on wildfire, to improve cross-government coordination across the full wildfire cycle, from risk assessment and prevention through to response and recovery. Alongside this, the Government is investing in peatland restoration, landscape-scale habitat recovery and stronger protections for upland peat. These measures are designed to improve resilience and support biodiversity recovery.
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