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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Government department is responsible for leading work on climate adaptation in the UK.

Defra leads the UK Government’s work on climate adaptation. Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government is required to produce a Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme setting out how the identified risks will be addressed. The National Adaptation Programme covers areas within the UK Government’s responsibilities in England and its non-devolved functions across the rest of the UK. Although Defra leads this work, climate adaptation is a cross-government responsibility.