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.

Thanking postal workers

Found: Q56 Amanda Hack: I am sorry to interrupt.

Found: Members present: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Steve Darling; Amanda Hack

Submit Evidence (by 12 Feb 2026)

Nearly one million young people aged 16–24 are not in employment, education or training (NEET). This is a worrying statistic given the harm that being NEET can do to young people’s prospects and wellbeing. To tackle this problem, the Government has recently transferred the skills remit to DWP and announced measures such as the Youth Guarantee and apprenticeship reforms. The Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry, which seeks to complement the independent Milburn Review into Young People and Work, will explore the causes of economic inactivity and how to help young people into work, education or training, and scrutinise the Government’s plans.