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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2024 to Question 8811 on Land Drainage, what his expected timetable is for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; and what (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with local authorities on preparing for the implementation.

The Government remains firmly committed to delivering standardised sustainable drainage systems in new developments as stated in our Plan for Water (April 2023). A consultation will take place shortly and final implementation decisions will be made on scope, threshold and process.

Defra officials engage with local authority representatives on this issue on a regular basis. We would expect discussions to intensify during and following the upcoming public consultation.