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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential benefits of establishing a statutory framework for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in reducing surface-water flood risk from new development.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The National Planning Policy Framework requires all development which could affect drainage to incorporate SuDS and these should be designed and maintained in accordance with the National Standards.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.