Question follow-through · 89785
Water Abstraction
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of changing water regulation to permit dynamic abstraction from rivers during high river levels which cause flooding.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- 11 Nov 2025
- Target answer date
- 13 Nov 2025
- Answer
- 18 Nov 2025 · 7 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Environment and energy
- Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund · 1 Dec 2025
- Universal United Kingdom Resort: Water Supply · 2 Dec 2025
- New Towns: Tempsford · 2 Dec 2025
- Floods: Cambridgeshire · 10 Dec 2025
- River Great Ouse: Flood Control · 12 Jan 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 2 · 1 Jul 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
11 Nov 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of changing water regulation to permit dynamic abstraction from rivers during high river levels which cause flooding.
13 Nov 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
18 Nov 2025
Answer published
Defra recognises the value of flood and high flow water, especially in water stressed catchments. The Environment Agency (EA) has published a Regulatory Position Statement that allows abstractors to pump water outside of normal licence conditions during f...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund
1 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund has been invested since the fund was announced.
Universal United Kingdom Resort: Water Supply
2 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed Universal Studios Bedford theme park plans to draw its water supply.
New Towns: Tempsford
2 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed new town at Tempsford plans to draw its water supply.
Floods: Cambridgeshire
10 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date she expects the repair work on (a) St Ives and (b) Brownshill staunches to be completed.
River Great Ouse: Flood Control
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost is of fixing all sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
River Great Ouse: Flood Control
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit to flood alleviation of replacing St Ives sluice gates with a weir.
Eels
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost is of the Mildenhall eel pass.
Floods: Cambridgeshire
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment was made by her Department of the recommendations within the Section 19 report regarding flooding in St Ives in 2024 prior to the decision by the Environment Agency to
River Great Ouse: Flood Control
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of using the Water Environment Improvement Fund to maintain the sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Eels: River Great Ouse
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on maintaining the eel pass at St Ives sluice in each year since 2015.
River Great Ouse
12 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason was the lock structure at St Ives on the River Great Ouse closed in 2024.
River Great Ouse: Dredging
13 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when was the River Great Ouse last dredged.