Peatlands
Commons · Question 106307 · Tabled 16 Jan 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Question
Asked by Sammy Wilson
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment she has made of wildfire risks under (a) prescribed burning, (b) mechanical cutting and (c) no active vegetation management.
Answer
Answered by Mary Creagh, 23 Jan 2026
Healthy peatlands do not require active vegetation management such as burning or cutting. There is clear scientific evidence that burning is particularly damaging, as it degrades peatland conditions, undermines restoration and increases long-term vulnerab...