Written questions by Stephenson.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK government gathers business and environment leaders in support of UN nature agreement, published on 25 June 2025, how much investment the UK will benefit from.

Investing in nature at home and abroad is critical to the UK’s security and prosperity. Healthy global ecosystems reduce the risk of supply chain shocks, create opportunities for UK businesses, and help prevent conflict and forced migration. To advance this agenda, Defra Ministers hosted the flagship event “Nature Action: Mobilising Frameworks and Finance” on 25 June 2025 at Lancaster House during London Climate Action Week. The event, followed by a reception attended by His Majesty The King, brought together over 100 participants, including senior representatives from global financial institutions and major corporations representing over £12 trillion, alongside Indigenous leaders, NGOs and Government ministers. It made a strong business case for investing in nature and led to several announcements aimed at accelerating private finance for nature.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has prepared an impact assessments on the decisions to (a) merge Ofwat and the Drinking Inspectorate and (b) remove the environmental regulatory functions of the Environment Agency and Natural England.

The Government has committed to establishing a single, powerful regulator for the entire water sector that will stand on the side of customers, investors and the environment. The current fragmented approach to water has led to contradictory and competing priorities. The reforms will ensure regulation is in lock step to deliver for customers and the environment. Defra will work closely with the regulators to ensure a smooth transition. Further information will be provided in the white paper.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Planning (Flooding) Bill on the risk of flooding in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is a priority for Government. That is why the Government is making a record £10.5 billion investment, delivering the largest flood and coastal investment programme in history. Flood risk management is a devolved matter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Public First report entitled From risk to resilience - the case for flood-resilient communities, economy and growth, published in March 2025.

This Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit nearly 900,000 properties. This demonstrates the Government’s commitment to long-term funding as recommended by the Public First report. Also, in line with the report’s recommendations, the Government is exploring setting a long-term multi-decade target for flood risk management and has announced a new flood funding policy that will make it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding rules. The new funding policy will optimise funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences and will ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. We will use Government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources, making every £1 of Government investment go further. We will also invest at least £300 million in natural flood management over ten years – the highest figure to date for the floods programme.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of granting National Trail status to the Icknield Way.

The Government remains committed to enhancing access to nature and will continue to work closely with Natural England, National Trails UK and relevant partners to understand and respond to the needs of our National Trails. We currently have no plans to create any new National Trails. We will be completing the King Charles III England Coast Path and Coast to Coast in 2026, as well as developing the nine new national river walks.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled New drainage standards tackle pollution in England’s communities, published on 19 June 2025, if he will list the stakeholders that were consulted on the development of the new standards.

A range of stakeholders including expert consultants, devolved administrations, local authorities, arms length bodies, water companies, drainage experts, environmental groups and developers were consulted.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release New drainage standards tackle pollution in England’s communities, published on 19 June 2025, if he will list the (a) flooding and (b) drainage experts that were consulted prior to the development of the new standards.

A range of stakeholders including expert consultants, devolved administrations, local authorities, arms length bodies, water companies, drainage experts, environmental groups and developers were consulted.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to legislate to mandate the installation of smart meters for water usage.

Water companies are already able to install smart meters in homes as part of their planning and, in areas of water stress, can charge on a mandatory basis where there is overall customer support and value for money for consumers has been proved. The Government is working alongside the Ofwat Smart Meter Delivery Group to review recommendations made by Baringa in a recent report on learning lessons from energy smart metering, which includes ensuring money saving benefits for consumers are realised.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Ofwat to be abolished in biggest overhaul of water since privatisation, published on 21 July 2025, whether the new water regulator will be responsible for flooding.

This Government has confirmed that it will abolish Ofwat and bring water functions from four different regulators into one – a single regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and responsibilities in full. The Government will respond to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s recommendations in full via a White Paper, published for consultation this autumn.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of rising block tariffs for water usage on (a) families with young children, (b) households of multiple occupancy and (c) multi-generational households.

The Government has no plans to mandate the introduction of rising block tariffs for water bills. Several water companies are currently trialling rising block tariffs. Through these trials the sector will learn how to best support customers, including families, with their water bills. Companies must consult with the Consumer Council for Water to protect or exclude vulnerable customers, which ensures customers are protected. As the trials progress, we will continue to engage with companies and customer advocates on emerging outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to legislate to mandate the introduction of rising block tariffs for water bills.

The Government has no plans to mandate the introduction of rising block tariffs for water bills. Several water companies are currently trialling rising block tariffs. Through these trials the sector will learn how to best support customers, including families, with their water bills. Companies must consult with the Consumer Council for Water to protect or exclude vulnerable customers, which ensures customers are protected. As the trials progress, we will continue to engage with companies and customer advocates on emerging outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing funding for Natural England's programme to (a) designate and (b) expand National Landscapes on economic growth.

Given the pressures on public finances, Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. It was not affordable to continue Defra funding to Natural England to continue the new National Landscapes designations programme in 25/26. As such, Natural England have made the decision to stop work on some of the planned programme. Other elements of the programme, including the Surrey Hills boundary review and potential new National Landscape in the Yorkshire Wolds, are being maintained and progressed by Natural England as they considered the work was further advanced.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction on levels of fishing at the Blue Hole in the South Atlantic.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in conjunction with the Falkland Islands Government, continue to collaborate closely to assess the implications of the Agreement on fishing in the South Atlantic. During the Informal Consultations of State Parties to the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (ICSP-18), held at the UN in May 2025, Defra colleagues recommended initiating further multilateral discussions to explore the implications of the Agreement. In parallel, both departments are continuing to work with the Falkland Islands Government to address concerns around unregulated fishing in the Blue Hole and to ensure their interests are represented in international fisheries meetings.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the waste hierarchy to encourage councils to assign more black bin waste to the production of sustainable aviation fuels.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Falkirk on 8 May 2025 to Question 49143.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 55512 on Flood Control: Owner Occupation, how much funding (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency have allocated for promoting awareness of flood risk in the 2025-26 financial year.

Raising awareness of flood and coastal erosion risk is one of the Environment Agency’s (EA) key priorities and supports actions set out in the National FCERM Strategy. Flood resilience engagement advisors lead the EA’s work with communities at risk of flooding at the local level. Funding for these activities comes from resource allocations. There is no national database tracking the money specifically allocated to these activities as they often form part of a larger project or programme of work. Flood Action Week is the EA’s annual public action week, raising awareness amongst the public of their flood risk, the actions they should take, and the work the EA does to prepare and respond during a flood. Flood Action Week 2025 is planned for October and will focus on raising awareness amongst communities of our flood warning service and what to do when they receive a warning, and about property flood resilience measures.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project.

The total cost of Natural England’s consultancy contracts on the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project is approximately £430,000.00. This cost includes the production of all the technical reports as well as support for some engagement work with stakeholders. The total cost expensed internally by Natural England is detail we do not hold as many different teams and individuals have been involved in the project since its inception.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 55512 on Flood Control: Owner Occupation, if he will direct the Environment Agency to hold a community engagement event on flood risk in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

Since the flooding across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire in Autumn last year, the Environment Agency (EA) has hosted community events alongside other partner agencies. These were well received and strengthened local engagement around flood risk. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, the risk of flooding is predominantly from surface water or watercourses that are the responsibility of Local Authorities or Internal Drainage Boards, who would be better placed to take a lead role on community engagement around these sources of flooding. The EA is however working closely with all Flood Risk Management Authority partners to ensure communities are prepared and resilient to all sources of flood risk. They will support any community engagement events led by others wherever possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of peatland recovery on the level of flood risk in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The improvement of peatlands brings multiple benefits for biodiversity, reduction in carbon emissions and also flood-risk management. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, Defra is currently funding a Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot project in the Flit Valley. It is one of a series of projects supporting local partnerships to understand how water can be better managed to rewet and preserve peat soils and to collaborate on development of costed water plans, and this project includes flood risk within its scope. Defra is also funding research to investigate the relationship between rewetting peat and flood-risk mitigation in lowland peat areas. Both projects are due to complete in March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse from ending the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project.

Natural England has the statutory responsibility for identifying areas for new or ex-tended National Landscape designations. Defra had provided £1.1 million RDEL a year from 22/23 to 24/25for Natural England to accelerate their National Landscapes pro-gramme and wider work on alternative approaches to statutory designations Given the pressures on public finances, Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. It was not affordable to continue Defra funding to Natural England to continue the new National Landscapes designations programme in 25/26. As such, Natural England have made the decision to stop work on some of the planned programme – including the Chilterns boundary review. We have not made any assessment regarding potential savings relating to this specific decision.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatland in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as wetlands and peat bogs. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, Defra is currently funding a Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot project in the Flit Valley. It is one of a series of projects supporting local partnerships to gain understanding of how water can be better managed to rewet and preserve peat soils in these landscapes and collaborate to develop costed water plans. The project is due to complete in March 2026.