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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that internal drainage boards are fully funded for their role in preventing flooding and water management.

The Government supports and values the vital work internal drainage boards (IDBs) undertake in managing water levels and reducing flood risk, benefitting communities, businesses and farmers.

IDBs are mainly locally funded by the beneficiaries of their work, farmers paying drainage rates and local authorities paying special levies.

The Government’s £91m IDB Fund is supporting greater flood resilience for farmers and rural communities. IDBs are delivering projects that are already benefiting over 400,000 hectares of farmland and over 200,000 properties.

However, we recognise the need to ensure IDBs are set up in the longer term. In response to rising financial pressures on IDBs, and the farmers and local authorities who fund their work, Defra and MHCLG have commissioned a research project into IDB funding and costs. This is focussed on financial efficiency, value for money, and the broader benefits which IDBs deliver for local communities.