Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date ministerial approval was given to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025; and what advice on wildfire risk was provided to the Minister
Answer
Final Ministerial approval on The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 was given on 8 September 2025 when it was signed. Before finalising the amendments, Ministers considered the public consultation responses, including advice from the National Fire Chiefs’ Council and Fire and Rescue Services.
Verdict: AMBER (65/100)
The reply gives a clear, specific answer to the first part of the question: final ministerial approval was given by signature on 8 September 2025. It only partly answers the second part. It names the National Fire Chiefs' Council and Fire and Rescue Services as sources of advice Ministers considered, but does not say what that advice was and does not address wildfire risk specifically. The asker would likely need to follow up to get the substance of the advice.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| On what date was ministerial approval given to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025? | Addressed | Direct | The reply gives a specific date, 8 September 2025, on which final ministerial approval was given by signature, which directly answers this request for a date. |
| What advice on wildfire risk was provided to the Minister in relation to those regulations? | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names specific sources of advice (the National Fire Chiefs' Council and Fire and Rescue Services) that Ministers considered, which is relevant to fire risk. However, it does not say what that advice was or address wildfire risk specifically, so the substance of the question is only partly answered. |