Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the value of blanket bog peat lands to (a) carbon sequestration and (b) flood prevention.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Blanket bogs can act as a source or sink of carbon depending on their condition. Near natural condition blanket bogs sequester small amounts of carbon per hectare per year (0.7 to 2.8 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalents); however, the largest climate mitigation benefit of restoring blanket bog peatlands is from avoided emissions of greenhouse gases, rather than carbon sequestration, as degraded blanket bogs are more significant sources of greenhouse gases.
Research funded by Defra shows that restoring upland peat habitats can slow overland water flow leading to delayed and reduced peak discharge in small catchments. However, it remains difficult to demonstrate the benefits of peat management on flood prevention in larger catchments.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve flood prevention in rural Fylde.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) invests where it can provide the greatest benefit to people and property to better protect against the risk of flooding.
The EA has recently completed the £3 million East Lytham Flood Alleviation Scheme which better protects 652 properties and a large rural area of South Fylde.
The EA completed embankment improvements in 2018 south of Moss Side, with another embankment improvement just north of Moss Side planned for April this year.
The EA also carries out routine maintenance across rural areas where they link urban areas such as the Main Drain and Liggard Brook catchments.
In wider Fylde, the Fairhaven and Church Scar Coast Protection Scheme, which includes Granny's Bay, is currently in construction and due to be completed by 2020. The scheme has been funded by over £20 million of grant in aid and will better protect 2347 properties.
Blackpool Council is also delivering the Starr Hill Sand Dunes project in partnership with Fylde Borough Council and Lancashire Wildlife Trust. The scheme will better protect 521 properties, whilst also enhancing the dune system through environmental improvements.
The EA also attends the Fylde Making Space for Water Group and continues to actively work with partners to address flooding issues in Fylde.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of the damage caused to Millbank House by flooding in 2016 and 2018; what costs have been incurred; and what steps he intends to take to ensure the building is protected against future damage.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.
Damage caused to Millbank House as a result of flooding in 2016
The flood water in June 2016 caused damage to finishes such as floors, doors and walls in the basements; following the clean-up, new floor tiles were laid to future-proof the floor finishes. There was also damage to ceilings in and around the restaurant area, and to plant and equipment in the 1 and 2 Millbank parts of the building. The total cost impact of the damage and repairs totaled approximately £84k.
At the time, 5 Great College Street was a building site and damage was minimal. There was minor disruption to the project refurbishing that building, and minor clean-up costs.
Damage caused to Millbank House as a result of flooding in 2018
It is not believed that the flooding in May 2018 caused any permanent damage to 1 and 2 Millbank other than the loss of catering stock; all food and stock losses will be covered by House of Lords Catering and Retail Services’ commercial insurance. There is water staining to finishes such as floors, doors and walls in the basement, and deep cleaning required to the kitchen areas.
In 5 Great College Street the flooding caused damage to finishes including floors, doors and walls in the basements; plant and equipment including air handling units, pressurisation pumps and lift equipment was also damaged by the water. The impact on costs within the 5 Great College Street project are still being assessed. There are two sets of costs. One is the emergency response costs including the tankers to pump water out and the clean-up operation. The second is the cost of impact, which will include repairs and the replacement of assets. The emergency response costs are currently estimated to be £200k. An assessment of the impact costs, which will take around 4-6 weeks, is in train.
Steps to protect against future damage
Following the flooding in 2016, a number of actions were taken to reduce the risk of flooding in Millbank House. Actions implemented include the sewage back flow prevention to 1 and 2 Millbank being repaired. Repair works to 1 and 2 Millbank incorporated features and materials that were less susceptible to water damage. Minor mitigation measures were incorporated into the 5 Great College Street project to prevent critical plant and equipment being seriously affected by future flooding, including waterproof bunding around critical areas and locating equipment at a higher level to reduce the risk of water damage.
Since the May flooding a review of the locations of water penetration has been undertaken and a specialist independent drainage adviser has been commissioned to determine if additional protective measures can be provided in the short term. Discussions are ongoing with systems and equipment suppliers to understand if there is any improved resilience which can be incorporated into the equipment. The recommendations of the report commissioned after the 2016 flooding are being reviewed to determine actions that could be accelerated or enhanced with new lessons learnt from the recent flooding.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what level of investment from the public purse is planned for flood prevention in North Cornwall in (a) 2017-18 and (b) the subsequent four years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government plans to invest approximately £476,000 for the period 2017-18, and £1.2 million for the period 2018-19 to 2020-21 on flood and coastal risk management schemes in the North Cornwall constituency. Budgets for 2021-22 and beyond have not been set.
Asked by: Jo Churchill (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of public spending on flood prevention in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and (b) the UK in each of the (i) last and (ii) next five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The table below summarises Government investment (Flood Defence Grant in Aid or FDGiA) to flood and coastal risk management schemes in the Bury St Edmunds constituency and England between April 2012 and March 2021. Budgets for 2021-22 and beyond have not been set.
Year | Bury St Edmunds FDGiA (£k) | England FDGiA (£m) |
2012/13 | 0 | 269 |
2013/14 | 0 | 315 |
2014/15 | 0 | 479 |
2015/16 | 0 | 403 |
2016/17 | 691 | 447 |
2017/18 | 21 | 413 |
2018/19 | 0 | 450 |
2019/20 | 0 | 490 |
2020/21 | 0 | 459 |
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on improving the cleanliness of the West Midlands's rivers.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) is leading on innovative ways to address diffuse pollution using satellite, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and mapping data. The EA also works with partners and stakeholders to improve the water environment in England. An example is the Waterside Care Initiative, which supports local groups to take practical action to address urban diffuse pollution and poor in-channel habitat.
The EA uses evidence to prioritise and target work in areas most at risk from pollution, including both point and diffuse sources. The EA completes its regulatory duties focusing on compliance and enforcement of main polluters. The EA also provides advice and guidance through pollution prevention campaigns.
The EA also works with water companies to ensure environmental improvements are delivered via their 5 year investment plans agreed with Ofwat. Severn Trent Water is currently developing designs to improve 92 of its sewage treatment works in the West Midlands.
In Coventry South constituency we are currently working with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust who are developing the River Sherbourne Living Landscape Project. Potential project work includes the removal of a culverted section of the river, other river restoration opportunities and Natural Flood Management projects.
In the West Midlands Area, in 2016–17, the EA has delivered work designed to enhance 205kms of rivers and streams. This equates to £1,544,000 worth of benefits to the catchments concerned.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on improving the cleanliness of West Sussex rivers.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) works with partners and stakeholders to improve the water environment.
The EA uses evidence to prioritise and target work in areas most at risk from pollution, including both point and diffuse sources. The EA completes its regulatory duties focusing on compliance and enforcement of main polluters. The EA also provides advice and guidance through pollution prevention campaigns.
The EA works with and influences Water Companies (Southern Water, South East Water and Portsmouth Water) to make environmental improvements through their business planning processes. This results in further investigations and improvements to Sewage Treatment Works and other works within river catchments.
The EA works with two Catchment Partnerships in West Sussex to align priorities and develop joint initiatives to tackle water quality issues across the catchment areas.
Partnership projects in West Sussex have delivered 16km of rivers enhanced since January 2016. The EA is working with a wide range of partners throughout West Sussex on projects to be delivered over the next 3 years which will directly or indirectly relate to water quality improvement in rivers. An example of solutions being explored are natural flood management opportunities and working with the landowners to intercept, store and filter run-off containing diffuse pollution.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of public spending on flood prevention in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) the UK in each of the (i) next and (ii) last five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The table below summarises Government investment (Flood Defence Grant in Aid or FDGiA) to flood and coastal risk management schemes in the Fylde constituency and England between April 2012 and March 2021.
Year | Fylde FDGiA (£k) | England FDGiA (£m) |
2012/13 | 210 | 269 |
2013/14 | 595 | 315 |
2014/15 | 112 | 479 |
2015/16 | 0 | 403 |
2016/17 | 657 | 447 |
2017/18 | 15,100 | 413 |
2018/19 | 6,317 | 450 |
2019/20 | 84 | 490 |
2020/21 | 79 | 459 |
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to farmers and food growers on protecting water quality and the management of soil and nutrients.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency (EA) provides advice and guidance on pollution prevention to farmers and agricultural businesses to help them reduce the risk of causing environmental pollution and the costs of clean up. There are around 100,000 agricultural premises in England which can benefit from this guidance. This helps farmers become or remain compliant with regulations and the direct legislation which prohibits pollution. It is an offence under the Water Resources Act to cause pollution, so where serious or significant pollution does happen the EA will also take direct enforcement action.
The EA bases its advice around a consistent set of integrated key actions which farmers can take to manage environmental impacts. These key advisory actions will help to improve and protect water quality through the management of soils and nutrients, secure water resources, adapt to a changing climate and reduce flood risk. Other specific advice includes information to help farmers control nutrient levels from organic fertiliser and manufactured fertiliser use, previously known as the Code of Good Agricultural Practice (CoGAP). Where appropriate the EA will also signpost farmers to other partners for specialist support as well as grants which may be available through programmes such as Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage tree planting in areas that are prone to recurrent flooding.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government continues to fund and support research into the utility of trees in flood prevention, for example through the joint Defra/Environment Agency ‘Working with Natural Processes’ research programme, and the Forestry Commission’s Science and Innovation Strategy work.
In July, Defra also announced the allocation of £15 million specifically for natural flood management projects. Several of the 58 projects undertaken within this programme include tree planting amongst their interventions.
Flood risk management is one of the targeting criteria for woodland creation funded through the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Countryside Stewardship also supports the installation of leaky woody dams in new and existing woodland to aid flood mitigation.
Additionally, Forest Research, the Forestry Commission’s research agency, is conducting a number of medium and long term projects on this topic, often in partnership with water regulators, universities and end users. These cover process, modelling, economic and mapping studies designed to quantify and demonstrate how woodland can contribute to flood risk management. One flagship project led by Forest Research is the ‘Slowing the Flow’ at Pickering study. This is evaluating how the integrated application of a range of land use and management measures can alleviate flooding, including woodland creation and the use of large woody structures.