EU Floods Directive
Philip Dunne questions the Environment Agency's ability to implement the EU Floods Directive on time.
Mr. Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): What recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the implementation of the EU floods directive. [258775]
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn): DEFRA officials hold regular discussions with the Environment Agency on a range of matters associated with the draft floods and water Bill, which will include the implementation of the EU floods directive.
Mr. Dunne: The EU floods directive is due to be implemented this September. What reassurances can the Secretary of State give to the many people who have suffered flood damage in the past couple of years in particular, including my constituents, who have suffered flood damage three or four times in that short period? What reassurance is there that the Environment Agency will be able to implement the directive on time, when there were some 200 flood risk-based vacancies in the agency only last summer?
Hilary Benn: I am well aware of the flooding that the hon. Gentleman's constituents have suffered, and the greatest reassurance that I can offer him is that since the floods of 2007, 49 schemes have been put in place, protecting 37,000 homes across the country, as I have reported to the House previously. Frankly, that is the best protection. We are putting more money into flood defence; indeed, we are bringing forward some of that investment in order to provide the protection earlier. We will be consulting on the draft floods and water Bill, which will look at how we implement the EU floods directive. Part of the work that that will require is already in train. The Bill will cover the further steps that we need to take to implement it.
