Member

Turning to air quality, the Government claim that local communities are set to benefit from improved air quality. This is a new justification for the increased restrictions on prescribed burning. What data on air quality during the legitimate heather burning season was used to support this decision? What improvements are expected in air quality with the extended ban on legitimate burning? How will extending the ban on legitimate burning protect public health? What is the public health impact of wildfire smoke outside the burning season, given that the risk of wildfires is increasing? While air quality is a key wider government objective, as with carbon emissions, the relative contribution of prescribed burning to poor air quality in comparison to wildfire is not quantified. Why not?