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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to support for landowners to maintain stretches of waterways on their land to help mitigate future flooding risk.

All farmers and land managers are encouraged to manage the land in a way that supports and enhances the environment while reducing impacts on others, such as climate risks.

Where there is a watercourse, riparian landowners are required under common law to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. This includes maintenance of the bed and banks, as well as any trees or shrubs growing on the banks. They must also ensure that any structures such as culverts, trash screens and mill gates are cleared of debris and allow the flow of water.

The new Environmental Land Management schemes aim to help the environment while supporting farming and food production. These will include support for farmers and land managers to adopt Natural Flood Management approaches in a way that reduces flooding and coastal erosion risks to local communities.