MS-6: Flood Prevention

[Amanda Stockley]

Thank you Mr Speaker. With permission, I wish to make a short statement regarding the current situation on funding for flood prevention.

 

Mr Speaker, the government is in continuous talks with local authorities regarding flood risks, especially with those in high risk areas. And Mr Speaker: flood prevention remains a concern of the government. That is why in the Net Zero white paper, we have earmarked a fundamental 800 million pounds each year for flood prevention, starting next year. Today, Mr Speaker, I am announcing that we are expediting a specific fund for immediate funding relief this year. 

 

Mr Speaker, this is a sum of 150 million pounds this year, effective by statutory instrument to follow after this day’s sitting, that will be given to those councils who require immediate funding relief to ensure their flood resilience is on par with the national standards. With these funds, we will be giving councils the budget that is required for immediate repairs, emergency flood prevention, and projects such as river dredging. With these short term prevention programs, we can ensure that households will remain safe this year and in the meantime build on our resilience in the long term.

 

Now, Mr. Speaker. What does long-term flood prevention look like? As I said, 800 million pounds are available for it. And those funds will go to far-going plans for revitalization, upgrading, and expanding of flood resilience. These include natural and man-made constructions. For example, we will work to restore sub-tidal habitats around our coastline, create and restore drainage and rainwater harvesting systems, monitor our groundwater levels on a local level, and a national early flood warning system with specialized local features. A record 8 billion pounds will be invested to keep our households, roads, and industries safe, and in the meantime restore maritime ecosystems. Of course, in the long term, the best solution to excessive rainfall and groundwater loss is reaching our net-zero goals.

 

In this session, Mr Speaker, our department will come forth with more approved plans, budget commitments, and statements regarding our flood resilience. For now, the commitment of 150 million pounds will relieve the pressure of local authorities with their immediate flood prevention goals. I commend this statement to the House.

[Brown]

Mr. Speaker,

I thank the Minister for her statement and her efforts in this important area. The last Government took important steps to help British families with the creation of the Flood Re to help ensure that flooding will never cause financial disaster to British families. I am glad to see this Government continuing this good work by making critical investments in flood protections.

Given the ever escalating nature of climate change, it is an unfortunate reality that flood prevention will need to continue to be a top priority not only for this Government, but for all future Governments in my lifetime--and likely beyond. I hope to continue to see broad cross-party agreement in the need to make flood defenses a top priority for investment in our budgets.

I would say to the Minister--and place on record here in this House not just to this Government, but to all future Governments, that it will be ideal to work in partnership with local governments and communities, rather than trying to find all solutions from Whitehall. Whitehall is filled with great minds, and it there is no doubt that this House has at its disposal significantly more funding that local Governments, so it is right and important that we should be making a sizable contribution to them for investment in flood defenses.

I would encourage this Government and all future Governments to also, however, defer heavily to local authorities on how best to use this money to combat flooding in their area, rather than have a "top-down" approach that we have seen in the past from well meaning administrations which, nevertheless, did not make the most efficient use of funding.

Mr. Speaker, local Governments know all too well the biggest sources of flooding in their area, and how best to use the funds that are available. I hope the Minister will make a top priority for her department to work with these local governments and communities, and place their input about how best to use this funding and weigh it heavily, keeping in mind, of course, expert advice. I have no doubt that this can be accomplished, but it will require a concerted effort on the part of the Minister, and I hope she will commit to ensuring that local stakeholders have an important and meaningful role in the consideration of how these funds can best be spent to help our communities.

Once again, I wish to thank the Minister for her action on this matter which is of great concern to me and my constituents. She has my full support in this endeavour along with, I am sure, the whole house.

[Amanda Stockley]

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

I welcome the questions of the honourable Member for Middlesbrough South, the constituency neighbour of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Government and Communities. I understand what he is saying, and I wholeheartedly agree with him on his points: these funds, earmarked for the coming ten years, can be used by local authorities, including the devolved administrations, for the projects which are most important for them. For example the flood prevention programs I mentioned in my statement have come from local initiatives that were made through stakeholder and partner talks. I agree that a top-down approach would be counterproductive, as our administration will not effectively handle these programs in the way local authorities can. But it is important that the expedited use of this 150 million pounds announced today are made from a strong central investment, to ensure accountability, transparency, and financial stability. The 800 million furthermore earmarked for the next ten years are also taxpayers money: it is important that we maintain a strong competitive program for the good use of these funds by proven concepts and projects that have a true impact. This is best done by, as he has said, collaborating with local authorities and other stakeholders in a strong sense. I will also furthermore assure him that his concerns will be known in the Local Government Department, speaking with the Secretary of State.