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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken with local authorities to improve London’s sewage infrastructure to prepare for flooding.

HM Government fully recognises the impact flooding incidents have on individuals and communities and sympathises with those affected. Flooding has a devastating effect, both in terms of physical damage and impacts on health, including mental health, and financially.

Following the flooding in London last July, local risk management authorities and other partners, led by the Mayor of London and London Councils, came together to discuss how best to mitigate surface water flood risk. This culminated in a Task and Finish Group, co-chaired by the Environment Agency, that looked at a range of issues and made a series of recommendations. Alongside this, Thames Water commissioned an independent review into the performance of its network. The final report sets out several recommendations for Thames Water and other partners.

Since then, they have formed a London Strategic Surface Water Group, which will meet for the first time in December. The Group will ensure that the findings of the London Flood Review are considered and, where there is agreement, who is best placed to implement them. The Environment Agency’s London Area Director and an independent member of the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee are members of the Group.

Having a robust drainage system, both now and for future demand, is crucial in helping to mitigate environmental surface water flooding impacts. To ensure this, the Environment Act 2021 places a new duty on water companies to produce comprehensive Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans, setting out how they will manage and develop their drainage and sewerage networks over the long-term.

These plans will provide a full assessment of the condition and capacity of the nation’s sewer networks. They are being developed in collaboration with other risk management authorities, identifying collaborative short, medium and long-term solutions on a way forward which could include sewerage upgrades where appropriate.

My officials are in touch with the local Environment Agency team and external partners on these matters.