Peatland Restoration

Earl Russell Excerpts

Thursday 12th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

The noble Lord is absolutely right in drawing our attention to the Peatland Code and the work of other organisations and he is right in saying that private finance will be vital if we are to meet our peatland restoration objectives. It is important that peatland projects are able to make the most of new revenue streams, including carbon finance. We are acting in a number of different ways as a Government to ensure peatland restoration. A key constraint on restoration delivery is the size of the sector, which is why we are launching a new sector capacity grant of over £1 million in the summer, which will provide funding for training, skills and equipment. In terms of development, peatland policy works alongside planning systems, rather than prohibiting development. It guides developers to design schemes that avoid unnecessary peat loss and manage water tables safely.

[Earl Russell (LD)]

My Lords, last year we had a record number of wildfires, including in our peatlands and moorlands. I take this opportunity to ask the Minister if he could update the House on progress on the Government’s wildfire strategy and action plan, which is now overdue. If the Minister does not know the answer, perhaps he could write to me.

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I will have to write to the noble Earl to update him on the wildfire plan strategy, but I would say that, just at the end of last year, the House debated and passed updated regulations around the burning of peatland, heather land and moorland, which is obviously an important aspect. I can tell him that over 675,000 hectares of peatland are now protected under those regulations; fewer than 2,000 hectares were burned last year.