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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of flood defences in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England.

The Environment Agency (EA) visually inspect all flood risk assets using trained and accredited inspectors. The frequency of visual inspection is risk based, taking account of factors such as the status, nature and significance of the flood defence. They also carry out additional inspections following flooding.

Based on the inspection, they assign a condition grade to each asset:

a) In the West Midlands: As of 11 December 2020, 94.12% of all flood risk assets on Main River are at their required condition.

b) In England: as of 1 December 2020, 94% of flood risk assets on Main Rivers and the coast are at their required condition.

If an asset is below its required condition it is identified as requiring work. This does not necessarily mean the asset has structurally failed, or that its performance in a flood will be compromised. If the performance of an EA flood risk asset is reduced, action will be taken to ensure that flood risk continues to be effectively managed until the asset is fully repaired or replaced and has met the required condition.