Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 January 2026 · HC 550
Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to the Governments response to the Flood Resilience in England Report, 15 January 2026
From: Environmental Audit Committee
Inquiry: Flood resilience in England
Summary
The Environmental Audit Committee writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs expressing concern that while the Government acknowledges flooding risks and climate impacts, it has not set out how it will deliver system-level changes needed for sustained flood resilience. The Committee seeks clarity on national governance structures, local authority capacity, mandatory sustainable drainage systems, planning reform safeguards, and a unified national flood reporting service.
Key findings
- Government rejects the need for formalised national oversight mechanisms for flood risk management, relying instead on existing strategies and guidance—but fragmented responsibilities remain a central weakness
- Government response does not address whether current local authority support is adequate for statutory flood risk duties, including surface water management and sustainable drainage delivery
- Government decided not to commence Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, leaving mandatory Sustainable Drainage Systems absent from national policy despite rising surface water flood risk
- Planning reforms risk weakening environmental safeguards and reducing scrutiny of flood risk in high-risk areas, potentially locking in future climate vulnerability and undermining precautionary principles
- Government has agreed in principle to a single national flood reporting service but Committee emphasises need for tangible delivery within clear timeframe rather than further scoping or pilots
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Environmental Audit Committee, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Toby Perkins MP, Lead Local Flood Authorities, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Flood Resilience Taskforce
Notable line
“… without clearer accountability, mandatory prevention measures, and properly resourced local delivery, flood resilience in England risks remaining aspirational rather than assured.”
Key Quotes
“… we remain concerned that while the Government broadly accepts our analysis of the problems, it has not yet set out how it intends to deliver the system level changes required to ensure flood resilience is consistently planned, coordinated and delivered over the long term.”
“Evidence to our inquiry demonstrated that fragmented responsibilities remain a central weakness in England's flood resilience system.”
“We were disappointed by the Government's decision not to commit to commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act”
“Changes to planning policy and guidance that reduce scrutiny of flood risk, scale back statutory consultation, or increase discretion to balance housing delivery against flood safety risk undermining long established precautionary principles.”
“… a single national flood reporting and information service is not merely a communications improvement, but a strategic necessity for effective flood resilience.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗