Fire ponds

That this House notes with concern the wildfires that broke out near Ilminster in Somerset recently, one of several simultaneous incidents that placed significant strain on fire crews from multiple counties amid warnings of exceptional wildfire risk; further notes that Somerset has this year experienced both devastating flash flooding and dangerous heat leading to wildfires, underlining the county's exposure to the extremes of a changing climate; recognises that farmers and landowners in Somerset are on the front line of this challenge and that wildfires can spread quickly in built-up areas as well as the countryside; further recognises that fire ponds serve a critical dual purpose, providing a store of water for irrigation and livestock through dry spells and a reliable water source for fire crews in rural areas where mains hydrants cannot reach; believes that wildfire resilience should be treated as part of the same interconnected challenge as drought and flood adaptation, rather than a separate issue, within the Farming Roadmap 2050; calls on the Government to make fire pond creation and restoration an explicit, eligible, funded action within the Sustainable Farming Incentive, with clear capital grant support for Somerset's landowners; further calls on the Government to work with the National Fire Chiefs Council to map the areas of Somerset most at risk of wildfire and least served by water access; and urges the Government to set out how fire pond provision will be monitored and reported on as part of wider climate adaptation delivery.