Moorland Protection
1/24. What steps his Department is taking to help protect moorland.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works with others to protect moorland by restoring peatland, managing grazing and reducing practices that in some cases can be harmful, such as burning. Those steps make peatland wetter to help reduce the impact of wildfires. We are reviewing the existing protection and will announce the next steps shortly.
A devastating wildfire has been raging on the North York moors, between Scarborough and Whitby, covering about 10 square miles—it is a huge fire. I am sure that the Minister will want to join me in commending the incredible bravery of our firefighters, as well as the tireless service of farmers, water tanker drivers, gamekeepers, landowners and all the other volunteers. Will the Minister provide reassurance that he will look carefully at proposals to limit controlled burning and to change the prohibition of burning on peat over 40 cm deep to peat over 30 cm deep, in the light of this year’s record number of uncontrolled fires, including the one on Langdale moor?
I thank my hon. Friend for her powerful contribution. I join her in expressing sympathy for all those who have been affected and I thank all those involved in fighting those fires. This is a cross-governmental issue. Wildfire and fire and rescue services are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but my hon. Friend will be aware that we have been consulting on ending locational burning to improve moorland resilience to wildfire. We know that restoring peatlands with diverse plant species prevents the over-dominance of heather and molinia, which dry out peat and increase the risk of fire. Frankly, recent wildfires show just how degraded our peatlands have become.
I join the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) in paying tribute to the firefighters, farmers, gamekeepers and everybody who has taken part in fighting the moorland fires in North Yorkshire, just over the border from my constituency. Does the Minister agree about the huge importance of managing moorland? Managed burning of moorland not only improves the ecological status of the moorland, but reduces the threat of wildfire.
I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman and that is why the consultation has been taking place. These are complicated issues, and sometimes controversial, but we all want to get those moorlands into a state where we are not subject to these dreadful fires.
I call the shadow Minister.
The thanks of Conservative Members go out to all the emergency services, our mighty farmers and gamekeepers who have been consistently fighting the horrendous blaze on the North York moors. The Secretary of State is currently pushing a dangerous proposal to ban a vital conservation and land management measure through eliminating the use of controlled burning of heather on moorlands, which manages fuel load and helps to prevent out-of-control fires. Does the Minister now recognise that if the Government’s burning ban and deep peat changes go ahead, they will be responsible for more uncontrollable and far more damaging wildfires that negatively impact wildlife, our precious peatland and rural businesses?
No, I do not agree with the shadow Minister. I have chosen my words carefully: this is a complicated set of issues, we are consulting and we will be coming back with our proposals shortly.