Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of (a) the potential merits of providing fire services with a wider range of enforcement powers to police the use of campfires and barbecues when the prevailing conditions make them dangerous and (b) the potential impact of providing fire services with these powers on the number of wildfires.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers, including Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

A PSPO allows a local authority to address persistent anti-social behaviour in a public place through proportionate restrictions or requirements. Before making a PSPO, councils must consult the police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, landowners affected by the order and other appropriate community representatives, and must be satisfied that the statutory legal test is met. It is for individual councils to decide how and to what extent to use these powers.

To manage wildfire risk specifically, a temporary ban on disposable barbecues came into force on Friday 14 August 2026 along with an emergency alert issued to step up action to protect communities from the threat posed by wildfires.

The Government will consider the case for further restrictions and will consider what more we can do as part of the wildfire summit.