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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) review and (b) implement changes to the funding structure for Internal Drainage Boards to reduce the financial impact on local councils.

Defra has committed to work with the internal drainage board (IDB) sector and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to review IDBs’ current funding and costs. This will include examination of whether any changes are needed to their funding model and will consider the findings carefully.

IDBs are local independent statutory public bodies, mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work. This includes farmers who pay drainage rates and local authorities that pay special levies. Those beneficiaries are represented on the boards of IDBs, where decisions are made on the forthcoming programme of work and the annual drainage rates and special levies.