WIREDGOV

A Parliamentary debate in the Chamber is scheduled for Monday 3 March on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s Report into Managing Flood Risk.

The debate is scheduled as the first item of business in the Chamber after Questions at 2.30pm.

The Committee published its Report in July 2013 examining the effectiveness of the Government’s flood risk management strategies.

Key recommendations

The Report’s key recommendations include:

• Funding has not kept pace in recent years with an increased risk of flooding and the relatively modest funding to be provided up to 2020 will not be sufficient to plug the funding gap. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) must set out detailed evidence to demonstrate to HM Treasury that flood management capital funding must rise year on year by £20 million over the next 25 years to keep pace with increasing flood threat.
• Reduced funding for maintenance of flood defences and watercourses could leave communities exposed to the threat of flooding. It is essential that adequate revenue funding is provided to enable the Environment Agency to conduct the necessary dredging and maintenance of watercourses.
• Defra must demonstrate that the Partnership Funding model can deliver much greater private sector funding.
• Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) which wish to undertake maintenance of local watercourses should be supported in doing so, including by enabling them to retain the funding they currently provide to the Environment Agency for these services.