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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans take to help mitigate the effects of climate change on the most disadvantaged in society.

Adapting to inevitable changes in our climate is vital which is why the Government is taking robust action to improve resilience to the effects of climate change across the whole country and economy, as set out in our current National Adaptation Programme [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-second-national-adaptation-programme-2018-to-2023].

The Government considers the distributional impact of our interventions on different groups, including disadvantaged groups. For instance, the formula for allocating the Government’s flood defence funding is weighted towards protecting people’s lives and homes. The most deprived areas of the country are eligible for higher payment levels than elsewhere, explicitly targeting higher Government investment in deprived areas.

Moving towards our net zero carbon emissions target offers the UK real opportunities such as new jobs, clean air and warm homes.?It is vital we make sure that these opportunities are inclusive, benefitting people across the UK.? HM Treasury will be conducting a review into the costs of decarbonisation, including how to achieve this transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances.