Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.5.12 of the draft amended National Policy Statement for Ports, published on 4 June 2025, what guidance will be available to decision-makers to support them interpreting the term economically reasonable; and what factors will be taken into account in assessing economic reasonableness.

The Department for Transport does not intend to publish supplementary guidance on the interpretation of this paragraph. The concepts of technical feasibility and economic reasonableness are generally well established, and encompass costs not being disproportionate to benefits. Technical guidance on flood risk assessment is published from time to time by the Environment Agency.