Flooding

Lord Bishop of St Albans Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

Clearly, drainage is an important part of managing any kind of flood risk. If the water cannot go through the drains, it will sit on the surface and cause problems. It is always difficult keeping drains clear throughout a whole flood event, because water inevitably brings with it things that will cause blockages in drains. But it is important that we manage the drains as effectively as we can ahead of flooding and that we also support internal drainage boards.

Internal drainage boards clearly do important work managing water levels and reducing flood risks to farmers and rural communities. The Government have committed to providing an additional £50 million to internal drainage boards over this year and next, to improve, repair or replace the flood-risk assets. This builds on the £25 million that was already being provided. As I have said, we are committed to continuing our work with internal drainage boards and also with MHCLG. With so much of this, the two departments need to come together to get a consistent and effective approach for the long term.

[The Lord Bishop of St Albans]

My Lords, the UK Food Security Report, published on 11 December, identified extreme weather events as major threat to good food production, and therefore a risk to our own national security. The Minister has just been talking about cross-departmental work. Can she assure the House that, as the Government develop the national food security strategy, they will liaise with the food resilience task force? This all needs joined-up thinking if we are going to guarantee our security.

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I am very grateful to the right reverend Prelate for mentioning that we are producing the food strategy. It will be incredibly important if we are to have proper food security going forward. Clearly, climate change brings particular challenges to our farmers and, because of that, to our future food security. We are very determined as a Government to bring departments together in order to produce sensible, forward-looking plans for the future. I am sure that we will be liaising with the group he mentioned. I will discuss it with the farming Minister, who is producing those plans, to ensure that that is done.