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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of the Environment Agency’s new flood warning service for older people.

The Get flood warnings service was designed with input from many users including older adults and those with access needs to ensure good accessibility for all. Their feedback led to improvements like clearer navigation, screen reader compatibility and combining flood alerts and warnings onto one page. Older people can still use the 24-hour Floodline helpline, which offers general support and an accessible route for people who prefer not to go online. Floodline staff can help users sign up and manage their accounts, and people can nominate a friend or family member to receive warnings on their behalf. The service meets the GOV.UK Service Standard, meaning it is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all.