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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to improve flood defences on the River Ribble from the Ribble Estuary to junction 31 of the M6 at Preston; what proposals have been prepared for flood defences along that section of the River Ribble; and what funding is in place to finance such proposals.

The Environment Agency is developing a flood defence scheme for Preston and South Ribble. A full business case is being progressed with detailed modelling and outputs expected during January 2017.

Subject to funding and business case approval, the project is expected to improve defences for around 3000 properties and the area from Preston Docks to the M6 at junction 31.