Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Environment Agency on it registering property owners along the tidal Thames as riparian owners where legal evidence of ownership does not exist.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency is permitted to register property owners along the tidal Thames as riparian owners where legal evidence of ownership does not exist.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons learned from the financing of the Dartford River Crossing they have applied to their plans for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
A robust assessment of private investment options has been undertaken for the Lower Thames Crossing, with the short list outlined in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. The RAB model has been chosen because it enables the private sector to deliver the scheme efficiently, reduces financial burden on taxpayers, harnesses the benefits of private investment, and ensures strong regulatory oversight to promote the interests of users. In developing the preferred financial model for the Lower Thames Crossing, the Government has drawn on lessons from the financing of previous road projects in the UK and abroad, including the Dartford River Crossing (Queen Elizabeth II Bridge). The RAB model shares a number of features with the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) structure used to fund that bridge infrastructure, but also includes a regulator to ensure that it is operated in a way that promotes user interests and is able to attract the level of investment required.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105302, whether the proposed primary legislation to enable the Regulated Asset Base model for the Lower Thames Crossing will be introduced before construction begins.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Construction enabling works for the Lower Thames Crossing have commenced north and south of the River Thames. At Autumn Budget 2025 the Government committed a further £891m to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, the final tranche of government support to enable the private sector to take forward construction and long-term operation. The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. New primary legislation is required to enable the RAB model to be utilised to deliver roads. We intend to bring forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows.
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, if she will to outline the governance framework for managing River Thames navigation assets, including the criteria and decision-making process for modifying lock structures and updating or creating base hydrological data.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) maintains a comprehensive network of local and national governance and assurance boards that oversee the safety, operational performance, and investment prioritisation of its navigation assets.
Public safety is the primary factor guiding navigation investment decisions, supported by the need to maintain and improve asset condition. Prioritisation of Government Grant‑in‑Aid funding for non‑tidal Thames navigation assets is informed by statutory requirements, service delivery standards, and customer benefits across varying asset types. Water level management and enhancements to navigation facilities also form core elements of the EA’s investment planning.
Hydrometry stations across the Thames are critical for managing water abstractions, river levels, and navigation operations. The hydrological data they provide helps maintain and update flood forecasting models and informs the design of new flood risk management schemes.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the EA invested £28 million across its navigation waterways, with £18.2 million invested along the Thames.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the River Thames Scheme; what her planned timetable is for that scheme; and what the (a) current and (b) projected expenditure is for that scheme, in the context of the project’s mid-project review.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Significant progress has been made in preparing for The River Thames Scheme to undergo Statutory Consultation to inform the application of a Development Consent Order (DCO).
The mid-project review, initiated by Project Sponsors: The Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council, is ensuring the scheme design is optimised before finalising the DCO.
In addition, the Sponsors commissioned the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to independently assess the readiness of the project and sponsoring organisations to deliver the project. The cost of the development work up to this point has been £104 million.
The EA will be bringing forward an updated business case this Summer, which will set out the revised timetable to submit the DCO, an updated cost assessment, and any revised arrangement for delivery of the scheme.
Subject to approval of this business case, the next stage in progressing the project is to secure the DCO.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will commence after a Full Business Case has been produced and approved.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing. The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes and the full business case will follow ahead of private sector investment.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, following the conclusion of the public inquiry into the Port of London Authority Harbour Revision Order, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Port of London Authority is operating in a fair and transparent manner in relation to the charging of river works licences for balconies overhanging the River Thames.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has told the Department how it intends to resolve residents’ concerns. Although the Department has no relevant powers that can be used to assist in this situation, it is currently satisfied with the PLA’s proposed course of action but will keep the matter under review.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects construction works on the Lower Thames Crossing to commence.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Construction enabling works have commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government will take to improve water quality and flood resilience in Surrey and Guildford, in the context of the latest environmental progress assessment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) works with the Surrey Local Resilience Forum to plan and prepare for incidents and mitigate impacts on local communities.
In Guildford, the EA has temporary flood barriers ready for deployment, and is developing a scheme which will reduce flood risk from the River Wey to over 300 properties.
Citizens and organisations can check flood risk and register for warnings by accessing Check the long term flood risk for an area in England.
Regarding improving river quality in Surrey, the EA leads on the Water Industry National Environment Programme with improvement schemes that Thames Water must implement including the reduction of phosphorus levels in treated sewage effluent and investigations of storm overflows at Guildford, Woking, Weybridge, Camberley, and Dorking.
The EA is transforming its regulation of water companies, developing a larger specialised workforce, and delivering a step change in inspections of permitted sites and associated enforcement.