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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department plans to use to decide whether to commence Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; and when she expects to make that decision.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). In December 2024, we made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to support increased delivery of Sustainable Drainage Systems.

The department is now consulting on a revised National Planning Policy Framework – including for flood risk and Sustainable Drainage Systems – and, separately, on proposals to increase adoption of shared amenities, with planned guidance to ensure lifetime maintenance.

In June 2025, the Government introduced new national standards. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in due course.