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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures of the value of life and health were included in the evidence submitted as part of the Environment Agency's work with the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008.

The focus of the work of the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health has been methodological rather than upon specific measures of value.

The value of life and health measures submitted by the Department through discussions at the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review referred to Defra's guidance on valuing risk to life from Flooding and the “lost life years” estimate associated with reductions in air pollution.

A copy of the published Defra guidance has been placed in the House Library.

The Environment Agency evidence to the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review was submitted in March 2008. It did not include any measures of the value of life and health. It did refer to Defra guidance on valuing risk to life, which was under preparation at the time of the review and published in May 2008.

A copy of the Environment Agency submission to the Review has been placed in the House Library.

Documents provided:

Environment Agency, March 2008, response to the Inter-Departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health Survey.

Defra, May 2008. Supplementary Note to Operating Authorities, Assessing and Valuing the Risk to Life from Flooding for use in Appraisal of Risk Management Measures.