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

To ask His Majesty's Government in which cases work on new estates being built on flood plains has been held up by a lack of inspection partners.

Local authorities are best placed to determine in their Local Plan whether building on flood plains is suitable, as this is a complex issue that involves balancing development needs with environmental and safety concerns.

The government is strengthening the planning system to reduce flood risk in new developments. Updates to the National Planning Policy Framework require sustainable drainage systems in all developments and reinforce the use of the sequential test to avoid high-risk areas.

We are also improving flood risk assessment tools and aligning planning guidance with the Flood Ready Action Plan to embed resilience early in the planning process.