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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the publication entitled The review for implementation of Schedule 3 to The Flood and Water Management Act 2010, published by his Department in January 2023, whether he plans to take steps to implement Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to require the formation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) approval bodies.

Planning policy requires that Sustainable Drainage Systems are included in all new major developments, unless there is clear evidence that this would be inappropriate.

The Government is currently assessing how best to implement its ambitions on sustainable drainage, while also being mindful of the cumulative impact of new regulatory burdens on the development sector.