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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of funding to protect domestic dwellings and business from surface water flooding has been awarded to Norfolk.

Lead responsibility for managing surface water flood risks lies with Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs).

The Government, through Defra, provides the majority of funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management activities for England in the form of Grant in Aid which is administered by the Environment Agency. As well as using their own funds, LLFAs can bid for this funding to carry out surface water management projects. Funding for projects to reduce the risk of surface water flooding is considered on the same criteria as other flood and coastal erosion risks. Projects which have the greatest economic benefits, which provide protection to the most homes in relation to their cost, and those that protect the environment are prioritised for funding. In the six year programme from 2015 to 2021, £767,000 of this funding was allocated to surface water flood risk management schemes in Norfolk.

The Government also provides funding through the Local Government Settlement to LLFAs to carry out their surface water management and other duties under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The total amount and breakdown per authority is published on gov.uk[1]. The total of the LLFA entries for Norfolk for 2017-18 is £851,730. This shows the significance central government gives to these services, but local authorities have freedom to determine their own priorities.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-visible-lines-of-funding-2017-to-2018