Member

I will take a moment to acknowledge the important work of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee in its review of this SI and the publication of its 38th report. The committee’s scrutiny is a vital part of our legislative process, ensuring that the policy intentions behind our secondary legislation are clear and well-founded. As we have heard, the committee’s report has raised several points regarding the instrument. Specifically, it highlights concerns—indeed, this was echoed by the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, and a number of other noble Lords—raised about wildfires, particularly those raised by the National Fire Chiefs Council, and issues around the timings of the implementation of legislative changes and the impacts this may have on the licensing scheme. It is worth adding that Minister Creagh met the NFCC prior to the announcement of these regulations, as well as representatives from the fire service. We will, of course, continue to work carefully and closely with them. We pay tribute to the work that they do in response to all fire emergencies.