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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 October (HL10505), who is responsible for the coordination of the various bodies listed as involved in the mitigation of flood risk; and how is the performance of that responsible body assessed.

The National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy (attached) sets out the different roles and responsibilities of public and private bodies in flood and coastal erosion risk management in England.

Defra leads on the development of flood and coastal erosion risk management policy on behalf of the Government.

The Environment Agency has a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal erosion, details of which can be found in the Strategy. It reports to the Minister annually about flood and coastal erosion risk management; the main reporting responsibilities are set out in Annex 2 of the Strategy. The latest report is attached.