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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Morecambe and Lunesdale will be eligible for funding from the additional £76 million announced for flood defence schemes in the Autumn Budget; what the (a) qualifiying criteria and (b) process for application for that funding will be; and if he will make a statement.

£36 million will be invested in schemes using the same criteria as for other projects in our current record level six-year capital improvement programme to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. This funding is focused on maximising the economic benefits of Government’s investment and the number of homes better protected.

The remaining £40 million will be particularly focused on deprived communities at a high risk of flooding. We will announce the criteria for this funding in due course.

Regional flood and coastal committees will liaise with the Environment Agency locally to clarify their flood and coastal defence improvement needs, and ensure these are well understood when funding becomes available.