Written questions

Internal Drainage Boards: Finance

Commons · Question 13336 · Tabled 25 Jun 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record

Answered 1 Jul 2026

Question

Asked by Rupert Lowe

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the current funding model for Internal Drainage Boards creates unsustainable financial pressures for local authorities; and what plans she has t

Answer

Answered by Emma Hardy, 1 Jul 2026

In response to increasing financial pressures on Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs), farmers and local authorities, Defra and MHCLG jointly commissioned research into IDB funding, costs, efficiency, value for money and wider benefits. The project, launched i...