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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has held recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on riparian landowners responsibilities for watercourse management.

Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders to discuss the department’s policies, including flood and water management.

The government’s independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets included riparian landowners’ responsibilities. Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group. The review has recently concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.