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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal basis the newly created Somerset Rivers Authority will have; how it will interact with the county council and other local authorities; and how it will be funded in the long term.

The Somerset Rivers Authority will be a new joint body in the form of a partnership between existing local organisations. The County Council and five district councils in Somerset will be member organisations and each have a representative on the Authority’s board. The other member organisations will be the Environment Agency, the local Internal Drainage Boards and Natural England. The Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committee will also be represented by a member on the Authority’s Board. A review will be carried out to identify a long-term, local funding solution from 2016/17. On 8 December the SoS announced that the SRA would receive funding of £2.7m for 2015/16; £1.9m from Defra and £800,000 from local partners.