Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43351 on Domestic Waste: Fires, whether the UK Health Security Agency has undertaken research on the impact of the low-intensity burning of domestic household waste in household gardens.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not undertaken an assessment of the health impact of the low intensity burning of domestic household waste in household gardens, as there is legislation and guidance to prevent fires causing pollution or a nuisance. However, the UKHSA has published systematic reviews of the epidemiological studies on the health impacts associated with outdoor and indoor exposure to solid fuel burning.

The evidence suggests that burning solid fuels indoors could contribute to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults, while the evidence for other respiratory effects is less clear. The results regarding outdoor exposure and the health effects were too limited to draw firm conclusions.