Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions relating to flood risk prevention were taken by the Environment Agency in each constituency in 2023.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) regulate works in rivers through a permissions-based approach under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. These are referred to as “flood risk activities”. The primary purpose of the regulations is to ensure in-river works do not damage the environment or cause a flood risk to others.
Enforcement actions can occur due to a breach in permit condition but are predominantly for unauthorised works. Enforcement actions can vary from advice and guidance, formal warnings, notices, civil sanctions and prosecutions.
There were 65 Enforcement Actions across the country relating to flood risk prevention in 2023. Please see the table below for the number of enforcement actions for each EA area.
Number of enforcement actions for each Environment Agency area
Environment Agency area | Number of enforcement actions |
Cumbria and Lancashire | 0 |
Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 2 |
East Anglia | 30 |
East Midlands | 0 |
Greater Manchester and Merseyside | 0 |
Hertfordshire and North London | 0 |
Kent, South London and East Sussex | 2 |
Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | 0 |
North East | 0 |
Solent and South Downs | 0 |
Thames | 0 |
West Midlands | 1 |
Wessex | 0 |
Yorkshire | 30 |
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce flood performance certificates.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government.
Flood Re is a UK-wide, Government and industry led flood re-insurance scheme which aims to promote the affordability and availability of insurance for UK households at high flood risk. It is also required to manage the transition to risk-reflective pricing of flood insurance for household premises, ahead of the scheme closure in 2039.
In their 2023 Transition Plan, Flood Re have committed to bring to the market a 'Flood Performance Certificate' which will enable assessments to be undertaken of property-level resilience to flooding.
Whilst there is no statutory requirement for ministers to comment or respond to the published transition plans, the Government continues to work closely with Flood Re on the transition to risk reflective pricing for household insurance.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the provisions of Flood:Re beyond 2039.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Flood Re is a flood re-insurance scheme that aims to ensure UK householders living in properties at high risk of flooding can access affordable home insurance. The scheme is due to end in 2039, at which point the aim is for the market to offer affordable risk-reflective pricing of flood insurance for households.
Flood Re have a statutory purpose to manage the transition to risk-reflective pricing of flood insurance for household premises between 2016 and 2039. Flood Re published their most recent Transition Plan in July 2023, outlining its progress and action on moving to affordable risk-reflective pricing by 2039 this summer. Flood Re’s next Transition plan (Transition Plan 4) will be published in summer 2028.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish an audit of the state of (a) operation and (b) maintenance of publicly owned assets on the River Thames.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) manages many of the publicly owned assets along the non-tidal Thames, ranging from flood defences, navigation infrastructure, river gauging stations and some of the Thames Path bridges. These assets are managed in accordance with the EA’s Asset Management Strategy 2023-2033 to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable assets that support a healthy natural environment and climate resilient communities. To underpin this strategy the EA is developing a strategic asset management plan for all the assets on its navigable waterways. This plan will set out the required performance of those assets for reducing flood risk, maintaining water resources, and supporting navigation.
The EA regularly inspects its assets to determine their condition and to inform its programme of planned maintenance and investment. Currently 92% of the 203 flood risk assets along the non-tidal Thames are at or above their target condition, and of the 1,062 primary navigation assets, 89% of those recently inspected were at or above their target condition.
The EA will share with the hon. Member the progress it has made and its plans to ensure these assets continue to provide the services communities require.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Development Consent Order application process to speed up the delivery of the River Thames Scheme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State is aware of the importance of the River Thames Scheme in reducing flood risk and enhancing resilience for communities along the Thames. The Development Consent Order (DCO) application process plays a critical role in ensuring that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as this, are thoroughly assessed for environmental, social, and economic impacts before moving forward.
While the Government acknowledges the importance of delivering key infrastructure projects more efficiently to address pressing challenges such as flood protection, any amendments to the DCO process must balance the need for efficiency with the necessity of proper due diligence. This ensures that projects are delivered responsibly, with full consideration of environmental impacts, stakeholder input, and community needs.
The Government is continually reviewing planning and infrastructure processes, and any specific changes to the DCO process would require careful evaluation to avoid unintended consequences, such as compromising the rigor of environmental assessments or public consultation.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on when the Environment Agency plans to take enforcement action against illegal moorings in Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Environment Agency (EA) officers have been actively patrolling the Desborough Cut area and have mapped all trespassing vessels, including wrecks and abandoned boats. As of 27 September 2024, there are 29 vessels in total in this area. These include both registered and unregistered vessels.
The EA is currently working to secure the necessary legal resources and additional funding to support the potential cases arising from a targeted operation at Desborough Cut. They have also engaged contractors to survey the sunken vessels once river conditions allow for safe access, which will help in assessing the cost of their removal and disposal. They will look to recharge an owner where possible.