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Written Question
Rivers: Flood Control
Tuesday 8th July 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Rivers: Flood Control, how much of the £200 million funding for river asset management will be allocated to Suffolk County Council.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) is allocating approximately £200 million for the management of flood and coastal risk management assets in 2025/26.

This funding, which is managed by the EA and not allocated to other risk management authorities, will enhance our ability to manage flood risks and ensure public safety. £4 million of this funding is allocated to asset management activities within Suffolk County Council’s boundaries in 2025/26.


Written Question
Flood Control: Finance
Tuesday 8th July 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Flood Control and the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57092 on Flood Control: Finances, if he will set out how the £2.65 billion of funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management for 2024 to 2026 (a) has been and (b) will be spent.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are investing a record £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The full list of over 700 schemes to benefit from fresh funding this year was announced on 31 March 2024 and can be found here. Information on spend can be found here, and information on plans can be found here.


Written Question
Inland Waterways and Rivers: Damage
Tuesday 8th July 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) people and (b) groups have been prosecuted by the Environment Agency for damaging (i) watercourses and (ii) rivers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Information on prosecutions by the Environment Agency under its regulatory powers is available on gov.uk. Cases completed from January 2000 that resulted in a conviction are included.


Written Question
Flood Control: Finance
Monday 7th July 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Flood Control and the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57092 on Flood Control: Finances, how much of the £2.65 billion funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management for 2024 to 2026 (a) has been and (b) will be allocated to Suffolk County Council.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are investing a record £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The full list of over 700 schemes to benefit from fresh funding this year was announced on 31 March 2024 and can be found here.

In 2024/25, Suffolk County Council received a funding allocation from the investment programme of £900,000. In 2025/26, Suffolk County Council received an allocation of £500,000. Information on spend can be found here, and information on plans can be found here.


Written Question
Rivers: Flood Control
Monday 7th July 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Rivers: Flood Control, how much of the £200 million funding for river asset management will be allocated to preserve the River Deben in Suffolk.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Of the £4 million that the Environment Agency is allocating for the management of flood and coastal risk management assets within Suffolk County Council’s boundaries in 2025/26, approximately £300,000 has been allocated to asset management along, or close to, the River Deben.


Written Question
Flood Control: Finance
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department allocated to councils in England to carry out recommendations of flood investigation reports under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 in (a) 2021/22, (b) 2022/23, (c) 2023/24 and (d) 2024/25.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, lead local flood authorities must investigate flood incidents to the extent that they consider it necessary or appropriate, publish the results and notify relevant risk management authorities. These investigations help to improve knowledge and raise awareness of local flooding and inform local flood strategies and investment.

The Local Government Settlement provides funding for local authorities and the services they deliver. This includes the management of local flood risk and flood investigations.

Flood investigations could be used to identify and support new flood projects, which could secure funding from the government’s record £2.65 billion investment programme.

Defra has worked with lead local flood authorities to develop non-statutory guidance for carrying out flood investigations. The guidance was published in April 2025 and provides a best practice framework for producing clear and consistent reports. It can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigating-a-flood-guidance-for-lead-local-flood-authorities/investigating-a-flood-guidance-for-lead-local-flood-authorities.


Written Question
Flood Control: Finance
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department will allocate to councils in England to carry out recommendations of flood investigation reports under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 in (a) 2025/26, (b) 2026/27 and (c) 2027/28.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, lead local flood authorities must investigate flood incidents to the extent that they consider it necessary or appropriate, publish the results and notify relevant risk management authorities. These investigations help to improve knowledge and raise awareness of local flooding and inform local flood strategies and investment.

The Local Government Settlement provides funding for local authorities and the services they deliver. This includes the management of local flood risk and flood investigations.

Flood investigations could be used to identify and support new flood projects, which could secure funding from the government’s record £2.65 billion investment programme.

Defra has worked with lead local flood authorities to develop non-statutory guidance for carrying out flood investigations. The guidance was published in April 2025 and provides a best practice framework for producing clear and consistent reports. It can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigating-a-flood-guidance-for-lead-local-flood-authorities/investigating-a-flood-guidance-for-lead-local-flood-authorities.


Written Question
Rivers: Flood Control
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of river bank failure in cases of heavy rainfall.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) maintains a wide range of flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) assets, which reduce the risk of flooding to people and property. These assets include embankments, pumping stations and flood gates.

The EA inspects and reports on the condition of flood risk management assets in England. This includes our own and third-party assets that work together to protect people and property. Where assets are below required condition then the EA assesses their structural integrity and if there is concern, they make plans to repair those assets. Occasionally the EA is required to exercise their emergency powers to undertake urgent work to repair failing or failed assets that pose a risk to serious flooding.

This year, approximately £200 million is allocated for asset management, with an additional £72 million repurposed to support the maintenance and repair of our most critical assets. Together, these measures significantly enhance our ability to manage flood risks and ensure public safety.


Written Question
Flood Control: Licensing
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for Flood Risk Activity Permits were made in 2024.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Flood Risk Activity Permits are issued under the Environmental Permitting for work:

  • on or near a main river
  • on or near a flood defence structure
  • in a flood plain
  • on or near a sea defence

In 2024, the Environment Agency received 2191 permit applications for Flood Risk Activities. Approximately 3% of these met the threshold to qualify for a Standard Rules Permit and 97% required a Bespoke Permit.


Written Question
Flood Control: Licensing
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Flood Risk Activity Permits were issued in 2024.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Flood Risk Activity Permits are issued under the Environmental Permitting for work:

  • on or near a main river
  • on or near a flood defence structure
  • in a flood plain
  • on or near a sea defence

In 2024, the Environment Agency received 2191 permit applications for Flood Risk Activities. Approximately 3% of these met the threshold to qualify for a Standard Rules Permit and 97% required a Bespoke Permit.