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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing additional funding to Internal Drainage Boards.

The Government fully supports the important work internal drainage boards (IDBs) do in managing water and flood risk, benefiting communities, businesses and the environment.

On 31st March the Government announced an additional £16 million boost to the IDB Fund to support greater flood resilience for farmers and rural communities. The Fund has increased from £75 million to £91 million to provide opportunities to modernise and upgrade assets. More than 400,000 hectares of agricultural land and around 91,000 homes and businesses across England are expected to benefit.

In addition, IDBs, as risk management authorities, are eligible for the government’s flood investment programme. The government is investing a record £2.65 billion over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026.