Peatlands: Controlled Burning
Commons · Question 20000 · Tabled 28 Aug 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record
Answered 8 Sep 2026
Question
Asked by Sir Julian Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including controlled burning for wildfire prevention as part of the definition of favourable conservation status for blanket b
Answer
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, 8 Sep 2026
The 2025 Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket Bog describes conditions in which blanket bog thrives across its natural range. It states that both prescribed burning and wildfire can damage blanket peat hydrology. Fully functioning blan...