Floods: Finance
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Written answers and statements, 14 September 2009
Ian Cawsey (Brigg & Goole, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's plans are for expenditure on flood defences in 2010-11; and how much it spent in 2009-10.
Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Marine and Natural Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ogmore, Labour)
The Government are committed to effective management of flood and coastal erosion risk. It stands by its previous forecast of spending a record £2.15 billion on flood and coastal erosion risk management over three years and its commitment to spend £780 million in the 2010-11 financial year, with £20 million of the original £800 million moved forward into 2009-10 budgets to provide early protection for 27,000 homes.
Within the Government's previously announced figures for 2010-11, £659 million is going to the Environment Agency, local authorities' own expenditure will be an estimated £87 million and the remainder retained by DEFRA to implement the Pitt Review findings and help communities to adapt to climate change.
In August, the Secretary of State announced which local authorities will benefit from funding set aside to implement the findings of the Pitt Review.