Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of flood defences.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is working closely with the Environment Agency and relevant authorities to ensure flood defences impacted by recent flooding are repaired as quickly as possible; around 14,000 asset inspections have been conducted following the recent storms with action taken wherever asset performance was compromised.
This year and last, £200 million is being invested in maintaining flood risk assets, with the aim of achieving our current target of between 94-95% in target condition.
In the City of Chester, in the current Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital programme, £20,000 of Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid funding has been allocated for projects in the constituency, which will better protect properties from flooding. There is also a proposed project in the Stretford and Urmston constituency (Longford Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme).
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to respond to Clean Air Greater Manchester's proposal for an investment-led, non-charging clean air zone in that region; and whether it is her policy to support that proposal.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have reviewed the proposals provided by Greater Manchester authorities. Local plans must ensure compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits is achieved in the shortest possible time, and at present there is insufficient evidence to enable us to assess if the proposals do so. We have requested further evidence from Greater Manchester authorities to enable us to consider their plans further.