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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 13718 answered on 1 July 2026 about Fires, what steps she is taking with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess the effectiveness of the joint arrangement on wildfire risk anticipation following the wildfires in 2026; and whether the arrangement should be reviewed.

MHCLG and Defra are jointly coordinating work on current and future risk mapping, including risk hotspots and national-level risk assessments.

Measures have been taken to reduce wildfire risk including the ban on the sale of disposable barbecues introduced on 14 August as well as the use of the emergency alert system within parts of the UK. The Secretary of State for MHCLG also wrote to local authorities across England reminding them of the powers available to restrict activities that could increase fire risk, including the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders to limit barbecues, campfires and other forms of open fire in vulnerable areas.

This sits alongside wider measures including advice being made more visible, including through social media during high-risk periods, the Cabinet Office Prepare website, the Fire Kills campaign and StayWise, the NFCC-led education platform.

Addressing wildfire requires more than emergency response, it depends on coordinated action across prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, with clear roles for MHCLG, Defra, fire and rescue authorities, land managers and wider partners.