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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average length of time was between the Environment Agency receiving a flood risk activity permit application and starting the determination process for the approval of said permit in the latest period for which data is available.

Flood risk activity permit applications are currently being allocated for assessment a maximum of 14 weeks from receipt.

For time critical applications that pose a significant risk to people or the environment, or where required for national infrastructure projects, we prioritise the assessment of the application. Currently about 40% of applications are prioritised.

A number of initiatives are underway to reduce application processing timelines, such as additional resourcing and streamlining our regulatory approach.