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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the potential effect on heritage railway services and UK tourism of the proposals in the Government's consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood; and if he will make a statement.

Earlier this year, the Department set out our proposals to reduce the emissions of harmful particulate matter from the domestic burning of solid fuels, the largest source in the UK. Our consultation received over 500 responses, and officials are currently analysing the responses. We will publish our response to this consultation by the end of the year.

Our proposals relate solely to the burning of household coal and wet wood in domestic properties. We are not proposing any restrictions regarding smokeless coal. We are not proposing any restrictions or regulations relating to the use of solid fuels (including coal) in heritage railways.

There have therefore been no Ministerial- or official-level meetings between the Department and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on this matter.