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Written question asked by Steve Barclay (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Friday, 4 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Flood Control: East of England

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Partnership Funding formula adequately reflects the economic and strategic value of Grade 1 agricultural land in the Fens; and whether he has considered introducing additional weighting factors for flood defence schemes that protect such land.

Answer

Last October, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy, including removing the old partnership funding formula.

Our funding rules will support farming and rural communities and improve resilience against flood risk across the country.

The previous rules gave higher payment rates for properties than agricultural or environmental benefits. We are now giving equal weighting to all different types of benefits – a positive change for rural areas.

We will review the new policy in 2028 to assess its effectiveness in managing flood and coastal erosion risk, allowing us to see if policy adjustments are needed.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19985
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Agriculture Finance Land Flood control East of England
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk