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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has completed Action plan 3 in the policy paper entitled Surface water management, a government update, published 29 July 2021.

On 29 July 2021, Government published an update that set out the work that had been done to contribute to Action 3 of the Surface Water Management Action Plan and the further actions required to complete this. The Environment Agency is on track to complete actions in 2024 as set out in that document and continues to work with risk management authorities to improve the national picture of surface water flood risk.

In August 2022, the Environment Agency published an update to the Risk of Flooding from Surface Water maps, incorporating additional local mapping. The Environment Agency has also continued to work closely with lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) through the development of the new National Flood Risk Assessment, encouraging LLFAs to share data, local knowledge, and further local detailed mapping. This work will enable local information to be included in improved national surface water flood maps for publication in 2024.

The Environment Agency strongly encourages LLFAs to work with Water and Sewerage companies in the development of any local detailed modelling and mapping. It continues to work with both the water industry and the insurance sector to help promote collaborative working and data sharing.