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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the flood defence capacity in postcodes affected by Storm Desmond in 2015-2016 to prevent flooding in (a) 100 year weather event (b) a 30 year weather event and (c) and a 10 year weather event.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not asses flood defence capacity by postcode. Maps showing flood risk throughout England can be found online here:

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk/map.

The maps indicate where flood risk is high, medium and low; taking into account existing flood defences.

The EA targets investment to reduce the risks of flooding and coastal erosion to as many people as possible, and to get the best outcome for every pound spent. Details of the EA’s programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes can be found online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/programme-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-schemes.