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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on limiting the sale of disposable barbecues during periods of high fire risk.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques at present. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It would also be a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecute

National Landscapes and National Parks also have specific powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access land

The public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government departments to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code also advises visitors to the countryside to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed.

Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities.

Wildfires and fire risk are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.