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 impact of ineligibility for the frequently flooded fund on communities which are frequently flooded.

In July 2022, the Government announced the creation of new ring-fenced £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance (FFA) as part of the Government’s record £5.2 billion investment programme into flood and coastal erosion schemes.

In April 2023, the Government announced the first 53 communities in England to benefit from the FFA. These communities have been allocated a total of £48 million, better protecting more than 2,300 households and businesses across the country.

The allowance is designed to ensure funding is appropriately targeted, benefitting communities where 10 or more properties have flooded twice or more in the last 10 years. These communities are often smaller and can face barriers to access funding due to the relative complexity and cost of building flood defences.