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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environment Agency's guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, updated on 28 January 2025, whether he has made a comparative assessment between (a) that data on surface water flooding and (b) insurance claims for flooding in 2024-25.

The new National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) data published on 28 January 2025 was accompanied by online guidance. The new NaFRA uses the best currently available data, both from EA local teams and Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) in Bedfordshire and elsewhere. The EA is committed to a rolling programme of further data improvements starting from summer 2025.

LLFAs are the lead organisations responsible for managing surface water flood risk. The EA anticipate that LLFAs will review data on surface water flooding, and properties flooded in 2024-25, as part of any ‘Section 19’ reporting they carry out (a requirement on LLFAs under the Floods and Water Management Act 2010).

The EA does not have direct access to insurance claims information related to flooding, so have not undertaken any assessment of insurance claims information related to the data on surface water flood risk.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has regular discussions with the EA on a number of matters, including those relating to the new NaFRA. On 25 March 2025 the EA aims to publish the new NaFRA flood zone data on ‘Flood map for planning’ and on data.gov.uk.