Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the findings of Fielding et al. (2025) that cutting transferred fine heather material into the litter layer whereas prescribed burning reduced fine fuels; and whether those findings were considered in developing the current regulations and guidance on vegetation management.

This Government is committed to protecting peatlands. In September 2025, the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021 were amended, expanding restrictions on unnecessary burning practices, to enhance protection of upland deep peat and improve the resilience of moorlands. A range of new scientific evidence, subject to appropriate academic rigour, was assessed within the context of the cumulative evidence base. Evidence showed that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function.  The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

Defra continues to monitor the growing evidence on this topic. 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. Defra will continue to monitor these results and engage with key stakeholders.