Asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering To ask Her Majesty’s
Government what steps they are taking to reduce future flood risk.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con) My Lords, I beg leave to
ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and refer
to my interests in the register. The Parliamentary...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking
to reduce future flood risk.
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(Con)
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my
name on the Order Paper, and refer to my interests in the
register.
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Gardiner of
Kimble) (Con)
My Lords, between 2015 and 2021, we are investing £2.6
billion in managing flood risk, including 1,500 flood
defence schemes using both hard engineering and natural
flood management solutions. As a result, 300,000 homes,
690,000 acres of agricultural land, 279 miles of railway
and more than 5,000 miles of roads will be better
protected. A further £1 billion is being spent to maintain
defences.
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Will my noble friend look favourably on the report to be
published next week, entitled Bricks and Water, by the
Westminster Sustainable Business Forum, the two central
conclusions of which are that that the new environmental
body will have real teeth when it comes to upholding
environmental standards in flood protection and that
farmers could be reimbursed for public good, such as
retaining water on land? I know that my noble friend and
the Department are keen on natural flood defences such as
Pickering’s Slowing the Flow, and I hope that that will be
the model.
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My Lords, we are consulting on the new body, but we have
strong aspirations, particularly with our 25-year
environment plan, to enhance the environment, and of course
that involves reducing risk from natural hazards such as
flooding. Given the responses to the Health and Harmony
consultation on future farming arrangements, we are also
exploring ways to incentivise farming methods that reduce
flood risk. Slowing the Flow, at Pickering, to which my
noble friend refers, is a good example of natural flood
management.
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(Lab)
My Lords, the flooding of Millbank House and its subsequent
closure shows how quickly flash flooding can affect any
infrastructure, particularly vital infrastructure. We know
that tube stations, electricity substations and so on have
been knocked out in the past. Has a national survey been
done of vital infrastructure where flooding could knock out
services, what steps are being taken to ensure that we
protect it from flash flooding, and when can we be assured
that the things that keep the country moving will be
protected in the longer term? What is the deadline for
doing all the repair and protection of that infrastructure
that will allow us to sleep more soundly in our beds?
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My Lords, surface water is often much more difficult to
forecast than flooding from rivers. Obviously, flash
flooding has occurred, but following earlier floods the
National Flood Resilience Review, published in September
2016, specifically examined the scale of flood risk and the
resilience of infrastructure to flooding. That is why there
are many examples of utility companies and other national
infrastructure locations ensuring, rightly, that their
assets are better protected from flooding. Much of this
work will continue for the long term: adapting to climate
change, changing with coastal erosion and deciding where
the coast is to retreat and where we need to replenish. All
this is part of a cocktail that we will always continue to
consider.
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(Con)
My Lords, I know that the Minister is well aware of the
value of trees in general and regarding flooding in
particular. I again urge him to do all he can to encourage
tree planting in areas that are liable to flood.
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Undoubtedly. To go back to Slowing the Flow at Pickering,
tree planting was part of that process. It is about crops to
be grown, trees and buffer zones. We are increasingly
realising that there are all sorts of ways in which natural
capital is a resource for us to use, and that we can work
with farmers and landowners to support it.
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(LD)
Flooding can be devastating for businesses, homeowners and
tenants. The cost to business can sometimes result in the
business folding. Despite flood risk measures, many retailers
and businesses have been flooded several times. As Flood Re
applies only to domestic properties that cannot get insurance
due to flood risk, do the Government have any plans to
introduce a scheme that would help hard-pressed businesses
which also suffer from the continual threat of flooding?
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My Lords, whether it affects families, communities or
businesses, clearly flooding is devastating and the clear-up
can be very much a long-term affair for many. That is
precisely why the business-led Property Flood Resilience
Roundtable published an action plan in 2016. It is now
working on a flood resilience code of practice—this is really
important for places such as York, which unfortunately flood
very frequently—and how to adapt the electricity supply, for
example, so that if there is future flooding, recovery is
much speedier. That is the way forward.
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(Lab)
I am not sure whether I heard properly, but in spite of the
United Nations World Water Development Report, which promotes
very favourable natural solutions for water, both
ecologically and financially, did the Minister say that out
of £2.2 billion, we are spending only £15 million on
natural-based solutions? If so, can we think again?
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I did not talk about £15 million, but there are some specific
projects involving natural capital and the £15 million that I
did not mention. But, the £2.6 billion includes both hard
engineering and the use of natural capital in the scheme. So,
the £15 million is about specific, often community- led
projects.
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