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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Met Office forecasts from November 2022 that February 2023 is predicted to be the wettest part of the 2022-23 winter, what steps her Department is taking to prepare for potential flooding in that month.

The Environment Agency (EA) is prepared to act wherever and whenever it is needed this winter. It has 5,000 trained staff across the country ready to respond. These staff will issue flood warnings, operate flood risk management assets such as the Thames and Boston barriers when flooding is forecast and work with partners to support at risk communities. The EA uses its flood warning system to directly alert over 1.6 million users when flooding is expected in their area. There are military personnel and contractors on standby who can be deployed to assist in the most significant incidents.

In addition, the EA continues to build and repair flood defences to make the nation more resilient to flooding, delivering on HM Government’s record £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal risk management. This has already resulted in more than 35,878 properties being better protected from flooding and coastal erosion since April 2021.

The EA launched its annual Flood Action Campaign on 7 November to encourage people to prepare in advance for flooding. This promotes the simple steps that people can take to protect themselves, their family and homes.