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 status of the Lowestoft Tidal Barrier following the reduction in the number of projects to be completed by the Environment Agency as part of its programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes to 2027.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In March 2020, the government doubled its investment in flood defences to a record £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion. Since April 2021, over £1.5 billion has been invested in over 200 flood protection schemes, better protecting over 71,000 properties.

Defra has allocated over £80 million to the Lowestoft Flood Risk Management Scheme. The first two of three phases have been completed successfully.

Like many other infrastructure projects, cost have increased significantly over the last years. Defra is aware that East Suffolk Council halted the scheme in January due to a significant funding shortfall.

Defra would encourage the council to work with EA and other potential partners to explore additional funding in line with Government’s Partnership Funding principles.

The EA and Defra are continuing to engage with East Suffolk Council to identify options for developing a viable proposal.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 13 of the the National Audit Office report entitled Resilience to flooding, published on 15 November 2023, how many (a) projects have been cancelled and (b) homes will no longer be better protected; and where those homes are located, by local authority area.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In March 2020, the Government doubled its investment in flood defences to a record £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion. Since April 2021, over £1.5 billion has been invested in over 200 flood protection schemes, better protecting over 71,000 properties.

The capital investment programme is annually reviewed and updated to accommodate changes, including the introduction of new schemes or urgent works.

The Government is aware of the challenges and delays caused by inflation and the availability of skills and labour across the sector. The start of the programme was also impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in fewer people to develop projects and delayed mobilisation of construction activity.

As stated in the NAO report, the Environment Agency forecast that 1,500 projects will provide better protection to 200,000 properties by the end of the programme in March 2027.

Delivery is the Government’s key priority, and we are working with the Environment Agency to review the programme in the light of the impacts of inflation and the pandemic. More information will be available in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many investigations into (a) all and (b) ill-fitting personal protective equipment the Health and Safety Executive has undertaken in each year since 2018.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not categorise investigations by breach and is unable to provide a breakdown of investigations by breaches of specific regulations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help support (a) civilians and (b) faith groups observe Ramadan in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and calls for places of worship to be respected. We want Israel to use all possible measures to protect the sanctity of holy sites. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets.

Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We are working with partners to help get aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air. We also continue to call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure the safety of health workers in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.

We need a humanitarian pause now to allow humanitarian actors and Gazans to operate and move safely, and enable hostages to be released.

We need Israel to ensure effective systems to guarantee the safety of aid convoys, humanitarian operations and IDP returns, and facilitate access.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to Questions 18568, 18569 and 18570 tabled by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle for answer on 18 March 2024.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Answer to Question 18568 was published on 20 March 2024.

The Answers to Question 18569 and 18570 were published on 25 March 2024.

I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2023-24 on Resilience to flooding, HC 71, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) location of housing developments (i) allocated in local plans and (ii) given planning consent that will not take place due to the reduction in the number of properties to be protected by new flood defence projects.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development needs to be in locations where there is a risk of flooding as alternative sites are not available, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, and will not increase flood risk overall.

In March 2020, the Government doubled its investment in flood defences to a record £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion. Since April 2021, over £1.5 billion has been invested in over 200 flood protection schemes, better protecting over 71,000 properties.

Delivery is the Government’s key priority, and we are working with the Environment Agency to review the programme in light of the impacts of inflation and the pandemic. More information will be available in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the minimum investment requirement for the Water Management grant.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Our grant offers are kept under review between rounds. We will be reviewing the Water Management Grant ahead of a further round expected to be launched later this year. As part of this review, my officials will be looking at the minimum grant and whether it needs to be adjusted.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 403 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of aid supplies to the Gaza strip; and what recent steps he has taken to support (a) Islamic Relief, (b) the Egyptian Red Crescent and (c) other aid agencies to deliver aid.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.

We need a humanitarian pause now to allow humanitarian actors and Gazans to operate and move safely, and enable hostages to be released.

We are also calling on Israel to increase access for aid through land routes and fully open Ashdod Port, scale up the Jordan corridor to the 500 trucks a week with a streamlined screening and delivery process, open a crossing in northern Gaza (Karni, Erez or a new crossing point), and increase screening capacity at Kerem Shalom and Nitzana to seven days a week and extended hours.

In addition, we want to see an expansion of the types of aid allowed into Gaza and Israel authorise at least 200,000 litres of fuel per day, as well as the provision of electricity, water and telecommunications, to both the north and the south of Gaza.

On 13 March the Foreign Secretary announced an additional £10 million to bring UK support to more than £100million this financial year. UK funding has supported the work of partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF and Egyptian Red Crescent Society. On 20 March the Foreign Secretary also announced that more than 2,000 tonnes of UK-funded food aid will be distributed by the World Food Programme. This will be the largest UK aid delivery so far and will support 275,000 people.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2023-24 on Resilience to flooding, HC 71, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in construction costs on investment in flood defence maintenance; and what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on any impact on its target of maintaining 98% of its high consequence flood defence assets at required condition.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

At the last Spending Review the Government increased funding for maintenance of flood defences by £22 million per year. This funding ensures flood defences are kept in good working order. In 2023/24, the Government has gone even further, including switching £25 million from the capital programme to fund maintenance, so that the total allocation for this year is over £220 million.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are assessing the effects of inflation on the EA’s ability to maintain its flood and coastal risk management assets at the required condition. The effects of inflation and the recent winter storms have had an impact on flood defence condition.

As of Q3, 97.2% of EA maintained assets in high consequence systems were at or above the required condition. Where assets are not in required condition, this identifies that work is required. It does not mean that there is a risk of asset failure or that performance in a flood is compromised.

The EA are currently funded to maintain between 94-95% of high consequence EA assets at their target condition. The long-term target is to ensure 98% of all such assets are at required condition. Future flood defence maintenance budgets will be determined as part of the next Spending Review.