Question
Q13. After months of terrible drought, the UK has endured a battering from two named storms in two days. Last week I hosted a flood summit in the South Cotswolds and heard from farmers how on-farm water storage would help to alleviate both drought and flooding. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the £15 million Government fund promised for on-farm water storage and on when farmers can expect to see the expansion of development rights?
Answer
I was in the south-west, in Cornwall, in the summer to announce the funding for on-farm reservoir development, and I am pleased to tell the hon. Lady today that the application system will open very shortly. I hope that farmers in her constituency will benefit.33% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (42/100)
The reply gives a clear, direct answer to the first part of the question: it confirms the funding has been announced and that the application system will open very shortly. It does not answer the second part at all, because it says nothing about permitted development rights or any timeline for expanding them. The only timing it gives concerns the funding application system, so someone asking about permitted development would likely need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the current status of the £15 million Government fund for on-farm water storage. | Addressed | Direct | The reply gives the fund's current status: the funding was announced (statement 1), and the application system will open very shortly (statement 2). Statement 3 is vague and adds nothing, but the concrete status is clear from the other two. |
| When farmers can expect the expansion of permitted development rights for on-farm water storage. | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply mentions permitted development rights or any timeline for expanding them; the only timing given concerns the funding application system, and statement 3 is a non-substantive hope about farmers benefiting. |