Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a comprehensive fire risk management and reporting system; and whether she plans to require relevant landowners to consider all properties that could be affected by fire outbreaks, establish and maintain appropriate firebreaks, and ensure adequate access for firefighting crews.

The Government is taking forward a range of measures to reduce wildfire risk and improve the resilience of our landscapes and communities. Land managers are encouraged to assess wildfire risk and implement proportionate wildfire management plans, including measures such as managing vegetation and fuel loads, creating and maintaining fire and fuel breaks, restoring peatlands and wetlands, and improving access for firefighting. These measures are supported through Environmental Land Management schemes and Countryside Stewardship options.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with Defra and other partners to consider further measures to reduce wildfire risk, including approaches to land management, access for firefighting and the protection of communities and property. This work will inform the Government’s forthcoming Wildfire Summit and Action Plan.