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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her department will meet the cost of using the A400M for aerial firefighting via military aid to the civil authority.

The Government announced at the Wildfire Summit on 23 October that it will establish a nationally coordinated aerial firefighting capability. This includes the Ministry of Defence developing an aerial firefighting capability permanently based in the UK, with military support available to civilian fire and rescue services across all four nations through Military Aid to the Civil Authorities arrangements.

The Department has engaged with the Ministry of Defence at official level on wildfire preparedness and response, including through the Wildfire Summit. We are continuing to work with the Ministry of Defence, the National Fire Chiefs Council and other partners on the operational detail.

Arrangements for meeting the costs of deploying A400M aircraft, and any joint training between the Royal Air Force and fire and rescue services, are being considered as part of this work as well as worked out operationally with relevant partners.