Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Explanatory Memorandum to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, what the evidential basis was for indicating that her Departm
Answer
Degraded peatlands emit the carbon they once stored. The NE report NEER155 incorporated 102 new studies on the effects of burning on peatlands and concluded that repeated burning risks permanently altering the species composition and hydrology of peatland habitats. Carbon emissions from wildfires are influenced by a range of factors, making their potential impact difficult to quantify.
Verdict: AMBER (72/100)
The question was answered directly: the reply cites a specific Natural England report (NEER155, covering 102 studies on burning effects on peatlands) and its conclusions on lasting changes to species composition and hydrology, which support the carbon-emission rationale in the Explanatory Memorandum. A caveat that the effects are hard to quantify means the asker may still want more precise figures. The question text was truncated, so the exact Explanatory Memorandum wording being tested could not be fully confirmed.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the evidential basis was for the indication, in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, that the Department... | Addressed | Direct | The reply names a specific evidential source, Natural England report NEER155 (incorporating 102 new studies on burning effects on peatlands) and its conclusion on permanent changes to species composition and hydrology, which together give the evidential basis for the Explanatory Memorandum's indication. Statement 1 supports the carbon-emission rationale, and statement 4 adds a caveat on quantification. The question text is truncated, so the exact EM wording being tested cannot be fully confirmed. |