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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has (a) made a comparative assessment of and (b) sought advice on the reasons for why the area burnt by wildfires in the UK increased last year with global trends towards a reduction.

Government is working rapidly to evaluate the impact of the 2026 wildfires and assess the causes of the wildfires. The extreme drought and heat experienced this year are clear contributing factors in most regions of England. But it is critical that this assessment considers the diverse English landscape and the different causes of, for example, heathland fire in the East of England compared to moorland fires in the North West of England.

The evaluation of wildfires and assessment of causes takes account of the impacts of climate change and includes a comparison with other countries. This work will inform a Wildfire Action Plan.