Written question asked by James Wild (Conservative) on Monday, 13 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Thursday, 16 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Farms: Water Abstraction

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the duration of abstraction licences for farms.

Answer: Time limits are a legislative requirement for abstraction licences. The Environment Agency (EA) issues licences with time limits from 6 to 18 years in line with its approach to managing water abstraction. Applicants can apply for a long duration licence for up to 24 years. The EA are reviewing the criteria to make it easier to apply for a long duration licence. The Government plans to move abstraction and impoundment regulation into the Environmental Permitting Regulations to improve how we use water resources; new permits will be issued without time limits.

Secondary information