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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the progress of implementing the flood defences along the River Severn.

Progress on key schemes under the banner of the River Severn Partnership remains on course. While the COVID-19 outbreak has caused some minor impacts on delivery, the Environment Agency has developed safe systems of working to ensure that ongoing work on capital projects has continued. Site visits are carried out when required. Meetings with stakeholders have been carried out virtually. The deployment of existing barrier schemes and temporary flood barriers for communities that need them will continue as normal this winter.