Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department monitors the time taken by the Environment Agency to (a) produce and (b) publish post-flood incident reports.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On becoming aware of a flood in its area, a lead local flood authority (LLFA) must investigate to the extent it considers it necessary or appropriate. This duty comes under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. When a LLFA undertakes an investigation, it must publish the results.
The Environment Agency (EA) supported Defra to produce their new national guidance for LLFAs on investigating a flood, published in April 2025. This includes guidance on:
· typical criteria for deciding whether to instigate an investigation
· engaging with communities and partner organisations
· understanding the event
· developing suitable recommendations
· timescales for publication
The EA may be asked to contribute evidence and information to support the investigation, but they are not responsible for instigating it or for its completion.
The EA is also investigating a flooding event at Ryde that occurred in October 2023, but this is not a Section 19 investigation. This report was sent to stakeholders, including the hon. member for Isle of Wight East, on Tuesday 08 July 2025.
A summary of significant flood events is published in the Environment Agency’s Flood and coastal erosion risk management annual report.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the Environment Agency’s report into the flooding in Ryde in October 2023 to be (a) completed and (b) published.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On becoming aware of a flood in its area, a lead local flood authority (LLFA) must investigate to the extent it considers it necessary or appropriate. This duty comes under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. When a LLFA undertakes an investigation, it must publish the results.
The Environment Agency (EA) supported Defra to produce their new national guidance for LLFAs on investigating a flood, published in April 2025. This includes guidance on:
· typical criteria for deciding whether to instigate an investigation
· engaging with communities and partner organisations
· understanding the event
· developing suitable recommendations
· timescales for publication
The EA may be asked to contribute evidence and information to support the investigation, but they are not responsible for instigating it or for its completion.
The EA is also investigating a flooding event at Ryde that occurred in October 2023, but this is not a Section 19 investigation. This report was sent to stakeholders, including the hon. member for Isle of Wight East, on Tuesday 08 July 2025.
A summary of significant flood events is published in the Environment Agency’s Flood and coastal erosion risk management annual report.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the standard 20% VAT rate on the international competitiveness of the (a) tourism and (b) hospitality sectors.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality and tourism businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The UK’s VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent. The UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD, at £90,000. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish a distributional impact assessment of changes to national insurance contributions on (a) low and (b) middle income workers in the hospitality industry.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
With all policies considered, this forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.
The Office for Budget Responsibility published its most recent Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2025, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.
The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of changes to the employer National Insurance contributions on employment levels in the hospitality sector.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
With all policies considered, this forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.
The Office for Budget Responsibility published its most recent Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2025, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.
The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set out the procurement mechanism used by the Environment Agency to award the contract for the Environment Agency Community Engagement Platform (National) 2024 to Hello Lamp Post Limited; and if he will publish the procurement agreement.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The contract is available on contracts finder via Environment Agency Community Engagement Platform (National) 2024 - Contracts Finder.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list each foreign language where there has been (a) translation and (b) interpretation to facilitate engagement with the proposed NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Change NHS portal was available in English, Urdu, Romanian, Punjabi, and Polish, as these are the five most common languages in England, as reported by the 2021 Census. Participants at 10-Year Health Plan deliberative engagement events were given the option to request translation into any other language.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Environment Agency has made on its investigation into the flooding in Ryde in October 2023.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On becoming aware of a flood in its area, a lead local flood authority (LLFA) must investigate to the extent it considers it necessary or appropriate. This duty comes under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. When a LLFA undertakes an investigation, it must publish the results.
The Environment Agency supported Defra to produce their new national guidance for LLFAs on investigating a flood, published in April 2025. This includes guidance on:
· typical criteria for deciding whether to instigate an investigation
· engaging with communities and partner organisations
· understanding the event
· developing suitable recommendations
· timescales for publication
The Environment Agency may be asked to contribute evidence and information to support the investigation, but they are not responsible for instigating it or for its completion.
The Environment Agency is also investigating a flooding event at Ryde that occurred in October 2023, but this is not a Section 19 investigation. This report was sent to stakeholders, including the hon. member for Isle of Wight East, on Tuesday 08 July 2025.
A summary of significant flood events is published in the Environment Agency’s Flood and coastal erosion risk management annual report.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the (a) transparency of flood investigation reporting and (b) timeliness of the publication of its flood investigation reports.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On becoming aware of a flood in its area, a lead local flood authority (LLFA) must investigate to the extent it considers it necessary or appropriate. This duty comes under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. When a LLFA undertakes an investigation, it must publish the results.
The Environment Agency supported Defra to produce their new national guidance for LLFAs on investigating a flood, published in April 2025. This includes guidance on:
· typical criteria for deciding whether to instigate an investigation
· engaging with communities and partner organisations
· understanding the event
· developing suitable recommendations
· timescales for publication
The Environment Agency may be asked to contribute evidence and information to support the investigation, but they are not responsible for instigating it or for its completion.
The Environment Agency is also investigating a flooding event at Ryde that occurred in October 2023, but this is not a Section 19 investigation. This report was sent to stakeholders, including the hon. member for Isle of Wight East, on Tuesday 08 July 2025.
A summary of significant flood events is published in the Environment Agency’s Flood and coastal erosion risk management annual report.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the time taken for flooding investigations to be completed.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On becoming aware of a flood in its area, a lead local flood authority (LLFA) must investigate to the extent it considers it necessary or appropriate. This duty comes under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. When a LLFA undertakes an investigation, it must publish the results.
The Environment Agency supported Defra to produce their new national guidance for LLFAs on investigating a flood, published in April 2025. This includes guidance on:
· typical criteria for deciding whether to instigate an investigation
· engaging with communities and partner organisations
· understanding the event
· developing suitable recommendations
· timescales for publication
The Environment Agency may be asked to contribute evidence and information to support the investigation, but they are not responsible for instigating it or for its completion.
The Environment Agency is also investigating a flooding event at Ryde that occurred in October 2023, but this is not a Section 19 investigation. This report was sent to stakeholders, including the hon. member for Isle of Wight East, on Tuesday 08 July 2025.
A summary of significant flood events is published in the Environment Agency’s Flood and coastal erosion risk management annual report.