Air pollution has reduced significantly in recent years, with emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the pollutant that has the worst impact on health, falling 11 per cent in the last decade. 

However, domestic burning is a major contributor to our national emissions of PM2.5, and this pollutant has been identified by the World Health Organization as the most damaging to people’s health. It is important that action be taken to reduce emissions from domestic burning and their impact on the health of householders and their neighbours. 

Burning a dry log can reduce emissions by 50 per cent compared to a log which has not been dried. In 2021, legal restrictions came into force on the kinds of fuels that can be burned at home. People with log burners and open fires can still use them but will be required to buy cleaner alternatives to wet wood, such as dry wood. In addition, all sales of traditional house coal for domestic use are now banned in England, which will reduce air pollution and improve our health further.

Dry wood is much more cost effective to burn on a heat output basis than wet wood and also leaves less tar and soot in the appliance and chimney. Wet wood is no longer available in smaller sizes of packaging to ensure occasional stove users who buy small volumes of wood are not burning wet logs that produce high levels of smoke. However, I understand that larger quantities of wet wood are still available for seasoning at home.

Finally, Ministers have been taking further action relating to emissions in the home, including enabling local authorities to better enforce Smoke Control Areas and tightening the limits that new stoves in these areas must meet, reducing the limit from 5g of smoke per hour to a maximum of 3g. In Smoke Control Areas, additional restrictions on domestic burning apply, including through issuing financial penalties under a civil regime and by pursuing persistent offenders under a criminal regime.