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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 55512 on Flood Control: Owner Occupation, if he will direct the Environment Agency to hold a community engagement event on flood risk in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

Since the flooding across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire in Autumn last year, the Environment Agency (EA) has hosted community events alongside other partner agencies. These were well received and strengthened local engagement around flood risk.

In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, the risk of flooding is predominantly from surface water or watercourses that are the responsibility of Local Authorities or Internal Drainage Boards, who would be better placed to take a lead role on community engagement around these sources of flooding.

The EA is however working closely with all Flood Risk Management Authority partners to ensure communities are prepared and resilient to all sources of flood risk. They will support any community engagement events led by others wherever possible.