PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(19 June 2025)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to allocate additional resources to help rural and farming communities adapt to increased drought risk.

Asked by:
Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat)

The Environment Agency (EA) has produced an updated irrigation prospects report for summer 2025. The report provides options to support irrigators now and in the longer term.

The updated irrigation prospects across England for the summer season is ‘moderate’. If the dry weather continues, irrigation supplies are at risk, especially where farm reservoirs have been depleted over the spring. Reduced irrigation may impact on crops.

Options to support irrigators this summer include following good irrigation practice, signing up to managing water abstraction and impoundment licences online, and discussing short-term options with the EA for improving access to water (e.g. water rights trading).

One way to increase longer-term water supply resilience is to apply for a local water resources options screening study – for which applications are now open. The EA also encourage the sector to establish Water Abstractor Groups to work together to plan for their future water needs.

Answered by:
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