Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance the Environment Agency provides to local planning authorities on assessing the cumulative impact of development on surface water flood risk and drainage capacity in low-lying coastal areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are the lead authority for managing surface water flooding. LLFAs are statutory consultees on major development, providing expert advice to local planning authorities. The Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview for all sources of flooding.

In December 2024 the EA published its updated National Assessment of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk in England. This included an updated assessment of surface water flood risk.

The EA also supports consideration of surface water flood risk in decision making for new developments through the Flood Map for Planning and Check your long term flood risk services.

The EA is supporting implementation of the Government’s new flood and coastal erosion risk management funding policy, which made several improvements to aid investment in managing surface water flooding. The EA has produced guidance explaining how the new policy will work in practice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the condition and remaining operational lifespan of pumping, outfall, and other flood risk management assets for which it is responsible in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency; and what plans are in place to refurbish or replace those assets where required.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Over the last 5 years, the Environment Agency has inspected all the flood risk assets it operates and maintains across the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton area. Each year the Environment Agency delivers an asset reconditioning programme whereby assets rated poor or worse are prioritised for repair or replacement when funding is available. Priority is given to assets that protect the most properties, and assessments are made on decommissioning assets where they no longer provide a flood risk benefit.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the enforcement powers available to the Environment Agency to ensure effective oversight of the maintenance of privately owned watercourses in high flood risk areas; and what steps she is taking to review those powers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has examined the statutory powers and responsibilities for mapping, monitoring, inspecting and maintaining all flood and coastal erosion risk assets, including those owned by third parties. This review which also considered enforcement powers, including under the Water Resources Act 1991, will be published soon.

We expect all asset owners, risk management authorities, public and community bodies, private organisations and riparian owners to invest in maintenance and make timely repairs. The Environment Agency has updated its guidance on riparian owners Owning a watercourse.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much flood risk management funding has been allocated to Environment Agency projects affecting the Aldingbourne Rife catchment in each of the last five financial years; and what funding is planned for each of 2026–27 and 2027–28.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency has invested over £735,000 in the past two years on routine vegetation clearance and channel maintenance across the Aldingbourne Rife and connected watercourses. Each May the Environment Agency inspects the channel, followed by machine and hand‑cutting works through summer and autumn as needed. Flood risk assets, including the Bognor Regis sea wall, ramps and flood gates and Felpham Pumping station, are routinely checked throughout the year and debris screens are cleared whenever needed, 24/7, especially before and during rainfall events.

This pattern of routine maintenance and operational checks will continue in 2026-2027.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what watercourse maintenance and channel clearance works the Environment Agency carried out on the Aldingbourne Rife in the last 24 months; and what further works are planned in 2026–27.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency has invested over £735,000 in the past two years on routine vegetation clearance and channel maintenance across the Aldingbourne Rife and connected watercourses. Each May the Environment Agency inspects the channel, followed by machine and hand‑cutting works through summer and autumn as needed. Flood risk assets, including the Bognor Regis sea wall, ramps and flood gates and Felpham Pumping station, are routinely checked throughout the year and debris screens are cleared whenever needed, 24/7, especially before and during rainfall events.

This pattern of routine maintenance and operational checks will continue in 2026-2027.

Found: Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths

Found: Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths

Found: Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths

Found: 84.9%) Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat, Chippenham) (added 28 Oct 2024) 24 of 53 (45.3%) Alison Griffiths

Found: Wednesbury) John Cooper (Conservative; Dumfries and Galloway) Sarah Edwards (Labour; Tamworth) Alison Griffiths

Found: Bristol Central) Barry Gardiner (Labour; Brent West) Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat; Chippenham) Alison Griffiths

Found: Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Submit Evidence (by 18 May 2026)

At a Joint Summit in May 2025, the UK and EU agreed to a Security and Defence Partnership, and published a “Common Understanding”, setting out shared commitments to deepen cooperation. Progress since that initial summit has been limited, with core areas for agreement still to conclude. 

Submit Evidence (by 18 May 2026)

The Business and Trade Committee is conducting its bi-annual stock take on the UK-US economic and trade agreements, building on its baseline report US Economic Prosperity Deal (HC 1306, 2024–26).