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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the potential impact of the reformed flood funding rules announced in October 2025 on the prioritisation of asset maintenance relative to new construction.

The Environment Agency is delivering the Government’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Investment Programme of flood and coastal defences, investing £2.65 billion over 2024/5 and 2025/6 with a target of 52,000 properties better protected.

A new three-year £4.2 billion FCRM Investment Programme starts in April 2026. New projects will align with the strategic objectives set out within the Government’s funding rules announced in October 2025. It is expected to result in more eligible capital asset maintenance projects. These projects will either refurbish or replace existing assets that already provide protection to communities. The prioritisation of projects for investment will follow the approach set out in Defra’s flood funding policy published in 2025.