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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring Secretary of State sign-off for the cutting of firebreaks in Sites of Specific Scientific Interest during crisis situations on managing ongoing fires.

Consent for operations such as firebreaks on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will need to be obtained from Natural England. However, when responding to an emergency, it is a “reasonable excuse” under the relevant section (section 28P(4)(b)) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) for a SSSI owner or occupier to undertake operations without seeking section 28E consent. Natural England must be informed of the details of the emergency itself and the operations undertaken as soon as practical after they have been carried out.