Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of (a) providing the Environment Agency (EA) a statutory role in the planning process and (b) placing reports from the EA on a statutory footing.

The Environment Agency (EA) is a statutory consultee on all planning applications (other than for minor development) on land in an area within Flood Zone 2, or Flood Zone 3.