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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to fund flooding defence systems in winter 2025-26.

This Government is investing £2.65 billion over two years (2024/25 and 2025/26) into our flood resilience.

Since July last year, the Environment Agency has delivered 151 flood defence schemes, better protecting over 24,000 homes and businesses. It is poised to deliver more, across all of England, benefiting thousands of homes, supporting economic growth and unlocking new land for development.

Following years of under-investment, we inherited flood defences in their worst state on record – the condition of key defences in England was at the lowest it had been since 2009/10. By redirecting £108 million into urgent flood and coastal defence maintenance we have halted the decline.