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 has taken to (a) coordinate with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the latter Department duly considers the risk of flooding to the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre site in Victoria Tower Gardens in its planning consultation process, and (b) ensure that sufficient measures are taken to protect buildings in Thames Flood Zone 3 from an excessive risk of damages from potential flooding.

a) The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee as outlined in the Development Management Procedure Order (DMPO) 2015. The Environment Agency formulates its response based on evidence and the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and associated Planning Practice Guidance (Flood Risk and Costal Change). This was created by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

b) Within the Thames Estuary, a complex network of defences, including nine major barriers, around 330km of walls and embankments, and more than 900 other structures (such as flood gates, outfalls and pumps), work together to protect over 1.4 million people and £321 billion worth of property from tidal flooding.

The current tidal flood defences protect to a one in 1000 year flood event. To meet the challenge of climate change and sea level rises, the Thames Estuary 2100 plan details the requirements to raise flood defences in order to protect homes and businesses.