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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the environmental contribution of urban wetlands.

The Government recognises the benefits of urban wetlands and has various policies and funding available to support them. This includes our current review of the implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) which, if implemented, will introduce standards for new sustainable drainage systems. They use features such as wetlands to absorb rainwater, reducing the risk of surface water flooding, improving water quality, biodiversity, and amenity benefits.