Floods (England)
Philip Dunne commends the work of the emergency services in Shropshire during the floods, but calls on the Government to address funding of flood defences in inland waters which was down by £70 million on the previous year.
Mr. Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): May I commend to the Secretary of State the work that Shropshire's local authority's emergency services have done in Shropshire over the past 10 days or so? If he has not already done so, may I suggest that he reads with his usual diligence the National Audit Office report on flood risk management, which was reviewed last week by the Public Accounts Committee? He will see from the report that last year's funding for flood defence in inland waters was down by £70 million on the previous year. He will also establish that the Bellwin formula does not of course apply to the Environment Agency. Will he discuss with the chief executive of the Environment Agency how much of the additional funding that he has committed today will be available to the agency? The chief executive told the Public Accounts Committee last week that
"we will be talking to Defra about our budget. However, in their current parlous state I find it difficult to believe that we will get much from them, so it may well be we have to seek Treasury funding."
How much of the £800 million will go to the Environment Agency and how much will go to Bellwin?
Hilary Benn: May I echo the hon. Gentleman's praise of everybody in Shropshire for their response to the flooding? I will read the National Audit Office report; I have not had time to do so, because I have been dealing with the practical problems on the ground. The funding that I announced is available to the Environment Agency, but it also supports the local authorities concerned, and later I will announce exactly what the rise will be that will ensure the £800 million figure. I informed the chief executive of the Environment Agency of the figure this afternoon when I was briefing in preparation for my statement to the House, and I think that it will be widely welcomed.
