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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish an audit of the state of (a) operation and (b) maintenance of publicly owned assets on the River Thames.

The Environment Agency (EA) manages many of the publicly owned assets along the non-tidal Thames, ranging from flood defences, navigation infrastructure, river gauging stations and some of the Thames Path bridges. These assets are managed in accordance with the EA’s Asset Management Strategy 2023-2033 to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable assets that support a healthy natural environment and climate resilient communities. To underpin this strategy the EA is developing a strategic asset management plan for all the assets on its navigable waterways. This plan will set out the required performance of those assets for reducing flood risk, maintaining water resources, and supporting navigation.

The EA regularly inspects its assets to determine their condition and to inform its programme of planned maintenance and investment. Currently 92% of the 203 flood risk assets along the non-tidal Thames are at or above their target condition, and of the 1,062 primary navigation assets, 89% of those recently inspected were at or above their target condition.

The EA will share with the hon. Member the progress it has made and its plans to ensure these assets continue to provide the services communities require.