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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to help reduce surface water flooding since 25 October 2022.

Surface water flooding is localised and complex and is the responsibility of lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) to manage and mitigate. They do this in partnership with highways authorities and water companies. It is for LLFAs to determine the best approach to mitigating the risk.

The Government is also taking action. On 10 January 2023 Government published the review of making sustainable drainage systems mandatory in new developments through the implementation of Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. Sustainable drainage uses features such as ponds and grass to absorb the rain and tanks and pipes to slow the flow, reducing the risk of surface water flooding. Government accepted the recommendation Schedule 3 is implemented and will now consider scope, threshold and process. There will be a public consultation later this year, with implementation expected during 2024.

In July 2021 we restated our commitment to ensuring surface water flood risk is tackled and published a progress update on our Surface Water Management Action Plan and our response to the independent review into surface water and drainage responsibilities. Progress is being made on these through:

• changing partnership funding rules to enable more surface water schemes in our new £5.2bn flood defence programme which is expected to deliver around 500 surface water schemes better protecting around 30,000 properties.
• providing funding to increase surface water flood risk mapping in 28 LLFAs areas (nine are in London) providing 3.6 million people with more detailed information
• improving forecasting and response to surface water flooding through a project led by the Environment Agency, Met Office and Flood Forecasting Centre.
• requiring water companies to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans to address current and future pressure on drainage networks and to develop collaborative solutions.