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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to give local authorities more power to deal with flooding.

Lead Local Flood Authorities (unitary authorities and county councils) are responsible for managing local flood risks and have statutory duties including investigating flood incidents and publishing local flood risk management strategies.

Defra is supporting Lead Local Flood Authorities through its reformed funding approach, which is designed to improve local choice by making more projects eligible for flood and coastal erosion risk management funding. It also gives greater choice for communities and local authorities, through their Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, to decide how to best use local flood levies to reflect local priorities and support greater flood resilience.