Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve flood resilience on (a) key arterial roads and (b) motorways in (i) Surrey and (ii) the South East.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways manages the risk and impacts of flooding across England’s Strategic Road Network (SRN). It has a range of proactive controls and response measures, including a programme of targeted interventions for flood risk sites across the network, including the South East region. The third Road Investment Strategy will emphasise the need to improve the SRN’s resilience to future climate change, including new flood risk.
On local roads, the Government is providing local authorities with £7.3 billion of funding for local highway maintenance over the next four years, which supports measures to improve resilience. The Department is also working with the UK Roads Leadership Group to help local highway authorities understand and deal with the effects of climate change, including flooding.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to integrate climate change projections and increased storm frequency into long-term planning for transport and coastal defence infrastructure in Newton Abbot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has plans in place and underway with industry to adapt to and mitigate the risks of extreme weather caused by climate change. In 2024, the rail industry agreed a set of climate scenarios. This will harmonise data and methods and will help the industry develop consistent approaches to assess physical risks.
Network Rail is undertaking a programme of adaptation pathways across the network, including in Wales and Western region, which covers the Newton Abbot constituency, to develop a long-term strategic adaptation plan and identify priority areas for further adaptation investment. This approach will help identify those parts of the network which may require transformational change to enable safe and reliable services to continue in the future. Network Rail has also produced regional weather resilience and climate change adaptation plans (WRCCA). These explain Network Rail’s understanding of how weather and climate change can affect infrastructure at a more targeted, local level. This work is already informing discussions for future funding periods.
In addition, the Department has requested its train operating companies, including Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and CrossCountry, to produce their own WRCCA strategies due at the end of January 2026 and these will add further detail to our understanding of regional risks.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment protocols are in place to evaluate the cumulative impact of new hydroelectric installations on water flow, flood risk, and ecological balance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Any building or structure in the floodplain must ensure that it is resilient to flooding and that it does not increase flood risk for anybody else in the floodplain. Hydroelectric power is governed by a strict regulatory framework managed primarily by the Environment Agency (EA) that ensures that hydroelectric installations are safe and that they do not increase flood risk. The core requirements for any new hydropower installation are:
The EA uses flood modelling to understand the risk of flooding at a local and a national level. Its flood models use a range of information to help make them as reliable as possible, including information about the different types of land use and structures which could influence the way water flows.
In line with Government planning policy, the EA provides advice on planning submissions for new hydroelectric installations, considering impacts on water flow, flood risk and ecological balance. This ensures that planning proposals do not result in unacceptable flood risk or environmental harm.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on wildlife.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, the Government must complete a Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme outlining how identified risks will be addressed. The fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment will be published in 2027, informed by the independent assessment and advice provided by the Climate Change Committee. This will include a Technical Report outlining UK climate risks, including risks to terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, marine and soil ecosystems, and a Well-Adapted UK Report that will advise on how to address them.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the judgment in Gladman Developments Limited v Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government and Lancaster City Council [2026] EWHC 51 (Admin), which sets aside the sequential test allowing planning authorities to disapply the national standards for sustainable drainage systems published in June 2025.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Due to ministers' role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the details of a specific legal case.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is however clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk (whether existing or in the future). Where development is necessary in such areas, it should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.
The Government is committed to securing the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate change. The NPPF sets out that developments of all sizes are expected to make use of sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts.
We are consulting on a new framework that includes clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes a dedicated chapter on planning for flood risk and a proposed new requirement for SuDS to be designed in accordance with the National Standards for SuDS published last year.
The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available (attached) here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with the Climate Change Committee on whether projections in The Seventh Carbon Budget include the levels of energy used by data centres.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State regularly engages with the government’s independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), on a wide range of issues including the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget advice. The government will choose its own pathway and will ensure that this increases energy security, protects billpayers, and creates good, well-paid jobs while also considering future trends in energy demand.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the cost to the Insolvency Service was of Net Zero, sustainability or climate-related policies in 2024–25, including changes to operational practice, reporting and staff roles.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
During 2024–25, the costs associated with supporting the Government’s Net Zero, sustainability and climate related policies were £196,065.88. These were primarily related to staff time delivering mandatory disclosures and requirements including Greening Government Commitments and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. This figure comprises of staff salary costs and other costs associated with the online legal register, professional memberships and sustainability training. No direct expenditure was incurred on sustainability initiatives.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the cost per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent abated as a result of its UK estate Net Zero measures.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Hon Member can find details of all programmes supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), including those related to climate change, at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Where available, details of additional expenditure incurred in meeting the FCDO's net zero commitments is set out in the department's annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Gifford farm development on flooding via Parsons Drove drain in Huntingdon constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) was consulted on the emerging Local Plan, which sets out potential locations for development in Huntingdonshire, and responded regarding the proposed Gifford’s Park site.
In the EA’s response, it advised:
Until the above detailed work is provided by the developer, it is not possible to comment on whether this site may impact flooding specifically via Parson’s Drove Drain.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address humanitarian crises caused or exacerbated by climate change.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the responses given on 20 January to the identical set of questions asked by his colleague, the Member for South Cambridgeshire, on 12 January (UINs 105089, 105090, 105095 and 105097)