Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what impact assessment the department has undertaken on the impact of drought conditions on farmers.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), formed by Defra and the Devolved Governments, routinely follows the events that affect the agricultural markets, including extended adverse weather.
The requested information is available on GOV.UK here.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a) how many stakeholders attended the first meeting of the Government's National Drought Group, b) how often the Group will meet and c) whether her Department will publish actions from this meeting.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Drought Group has been running for this drought since 18 June 2026.
34 stakeholders attended the initial meeting.
Minutes and actions of the meetings can be obtained by emailing [email protected]
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many stakeholders attended the first meeting of the Government's Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce; how often the Taskforce will meet; and if she will publish the actions arising from the first meeting.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sixty-eight stakeholders attended the first meeting of the Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce. The Taskforce will meet throughout autumn and winter. The next meeting is planned for November.
The Taskforce agreed on 14 October to establish dedicated Action Groups on:
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of negotiating a growth and defence partnership with the EU.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The EU remains our closest partner and biggest market. In 2025, almost half [45%] of the UK’s total trade was with the EU, valued at nearly £860 billion. At the 2026 Summit, we are aiming to complete new deals on food and drink, emissions trading and Youth experience that will drive growth in every postcode and create opportunities for young people. We will also seek to deepen our security and defence partnership, with a focus on Ukraine, defence capabilities and industry, hybrid and cyber threats.Closer defence collaboration could lead to significant opportunities for the UK’s world leading defence industries, generating more high-skilled, unionised jobs across the UK.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are allocated to the Government's Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce and how much of their time is allocated to the Taskforce.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has a dedicated team of civil servants who are allocated to the Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are allocated to the Government's National Drought Group and how much of their time is allocated to the Group.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency provides the organisation and secretariat functions for the National Drought Group and its associated sub-groups. Around 25 staff currently contribute each week to supporting the operation and delivery of the National Drought Group.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what new measures the department is bringing in to improve water quality monitoring, as mentioned by the Minister for Water and Flooding in the Oral Statement on 16th October 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In response to severe drought, Government has instructed water companies to monitor reservoir and river levels daily and strengthen water quality monitoring. The Environment Agency will increase abstraction compliance checks, undertake site-specific downstream monitoring and visual inspections, deploy fish rescue teams where needed, while local resilience forums will coordinate support.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 department has made of the impact of drought conditions on customer water supplies; and what steps have been taken to warn the customers affected.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of 15 October, severe drought has been declared in parts of the South West and South East. Government and regulators have strengthened their response through enhanced engagement with Local Resilience Forums, public water-saving campaigns, and increased monitoring. Water supplies remain secure while the National Drought Group coordinates action.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made so far against the objectives of the Government's National Drought Group.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
National Drought Group has supported a coordinated national response to drought, maintaining oversight of water supply and environmental risks, advising government, and bringing together key sectors to manage impacts and maintain clear, consistent public messaging. Current priorities are winter recovery, preparedness for 2027, and readiness to respond should conditions worsen.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what impact assessment her Department has made of the environmental impact of current drought conditions in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency monitors water resources and environmental impacts through ecological monitoring programmes. Where drought permits are granted, water companies undertake additional monitoring.