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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans her Department will complete the review of funding to prevent flooding by the River Severn.

In the previous 6 year programme (2015 – 2021) the River Severn Catchment had over £50 million invested, reducing flood risk and improving community resilience to more than 3,000 homes. The estimate for the current 6 year programme (2021 – 2027) is that over £150 million will be invested, reducing flood risk and better protecting a further 3,000 homes and businesses across the River Severn Catchment.

In October 2022 Defra, the Environment Agency and partners from the River Severn Partnership (RSP) met with the Treasury to discuss the RSP’s holistic approach to mitigating flood risk across the Severn catchment. The investment Defra has made, and continues to make, is having positive, long-term benefits for many communities through reducing flood risk and improving community resilience.

Through the work of the English Severn & Wye Regional Flood & Coastal Committee (RFCC) and strategic partnerships, such as the RSP, a long-term holistic approach to deliver sustainable water management solutions is being progressed. These will bring flood risk management protection benefits while at the same time looking to provide sustainable growth and support environmental improvements.