Patrick Hurley has received a ministerial statement of intent on the legal order needed to establish a new internal drainage board affecting the Southport area.
The Labour MP told the Commons that flooding had damaged farmland in his constituency during 2026, reducing crop yields and creating concerns about food security.
Hurley asked ministers to confirm the National Farmers' Union's understanding that the necessary statutory instrument would be brought forward before the end of the year.
Environment Minister Emma Hardy said the Government intended to lay the instrument before Parliament by the end of 2026, subject to parliamentary time.
The answer confirms an intended timetable rather than completion of the legal process. The board cannot be treated as established until the instrument has been laid and the relevant parliamentary procedure completed.
The commitment gives farmers and local partners a clearer point against which to judge progress after a year in which flooding has affected agricultural land around Southport.
