Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making Internal Drainage Boards a statutory consultee on planning applications.

The government recently declared a moratorium on any new statutory consultees, along with a review of the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth. Any further announcements will be subject to this review.

Separately, an independent review of the water sector’s regulatory system was launched in October 2024, with the aim of enhancing water management and cross-border challenges. Findings are expected in early 2025.