Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for legislation to make it mandatory for insurance companies to provide flood cover at an affordable and fair price, to supersede the temporary Flood Re scheme.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2024/25, Flood Re provided cover for over 346,000 household policies. 650,000 properties have benefitted since the scheme’s launch and 99% of householders at high risk of flooding can now obtain quotes from 10 or more insurers.
Flood Re have a statutory purpose to manage the transition to a risk-reflective market of flood insurance between 2016 and 2039 when the scheme is expected to end. Flood Re publishes a Transition Plan every five years outlining progress and actions to manage this transition. Flood Re's next Transition plan (Transition Plan 4) will be published in 2028.
We recognise that climate change and population growth could further impact on the future costs of home insurance. This is why we have committed to reviewing, by the end of this Parliament, how both government and industry are responding to these new challenges and creating the conditions for this transition.
The review will consider current and future actions to ensure that the insurance market can enable access to affordable flood insurance from 2039, without the need for ongoing government intervention.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that farmers are protected from the monopsony sugar beet processor.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. Also, that sugar beet itself, used in crop rotations, is beneficial to soil and crop health and allows arable farms a season of “rest” from cereal production.
We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain. That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market. There is a well-established process in place to agree the domestic sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties.
While this process has been effective over many years, we continue to keep it and the regulatory framework under review.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that sufficient funding for flood prevention is distributed evenly.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit more than 890,000 properties.
The Government recently announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy, making it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding rules.
To secure maximum value for every pound of taxpayer funding, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios. Contributions from other sources will boost a project’s prioritisation. This approach uses government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources.
A minimum of 20% of FCERM investment will go to the 20% most deprived communities and a minimum of 40% to the 40% most deprived communities, ensuring deprived communities receive vital investment.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of road closures to prevent vehicles disturbing standing water that has collected after heavy rainfall on properties at risk of flooding.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The organisational responsibilities and operational processes for local road closures due to flooding are generally held by the Highways Department of the relevant local authority and the Emergency Services. Local private roads are the responsibility of the relevant landowner.
Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for local highway authorities to close roads temporarily when there is likelihood of danger to the public or the possibility of serious damage to the highway.
The Environment Agency works with local authorities in advance of potential flooding to advise them about current and predicted water levels, the local authority will then decide on whether to close roads. In many cases the extent of roads likely to be affected by flooding is well understood and arrangements to manage closures well-rehearsed.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to boost flood defences in South Suffolk constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is actively managing flood risk in South Suffolk through routine maintenance, strategic projects and provision of warnings and advice. Since April 2025, over 2,200 hours and a budget of £15,440 have been spent operating and maintaining flood risk assets such as sluices, together with targeted watercourse and vegetation management. £50,000 additional investment will take place at Long Melford and Glemsford to reduce flood risk to vulnerable properties by enhancing upstream floodplains, while also improving wetland habitats for long-term environmental benefits.
Over the next five years, Suffolk County Council will implement the Sudbury Surface Water Flood Alleviation Scheme - protecting up to 21 more homes, and the EA will provide property flood resilience to many more homes across the area. EA maintenance will continue, wherever possible. as will provision of a flood warning service for residents, and advice to planning authorities to ensure new developments remain safe from flooding.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to consult stakeholders on the development of the Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Plan.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The PFAS plan will set out a coordinated response for addressing risks relating to PFAS exposure, extending across government and industry. Engagement with stakeholders to date has been vital in informing policy, and we will use the plan as a platform to engage further with industry, other bodies, and the public on PFAS. In doing so, we hope to develop a collective set of actions and initiatives to address this shared challenge.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are classified as Substances of Very High Concern.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations provide for a list of Substances of Very High Concern to be established. This list currently contains six entries relating to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), each covering a group of PFAS.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will launch an independent public inquiry into the Lowermoor Water Poisoning with scope to cover (a) the role water privatisation played in the events, (b) the handling of the incident by Government and (c) reports of pressure applied to those affected by the poisoning to settle.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will consider the potential merits of a financial (a) redress or (b) scheme, for those affected by the Lowermoor Water Poisoning incident.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the medium term viability of Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our current assessment is that the company remains stable. The Government will continue to work with the economic regulator of the water industry Ofwat to help support a market-led solution to the company’s issues of financial resilience and operational delivery, which is in the interests of customers and the environment. The Government has stepped up preparations and stands ready for all eventualities, including applying for a SAR if that were to become necessary.