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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help rural communities prepare for the impact of adverse weather.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works closely with departments and agencies across government, including partner agencies such as the Met Office and the Environment Agency (EA), to monitor the risk from flooding. The government funds a Flood Forecasting Centre which provides a daily five-day flood forecast and informs National and Local operational flood preparedness.

The Environment Agency (EA) provides operational response to flooding across England and is prepared to act wherever and whenever it is needed with 5,000 trained staff across the country ready to respond to flooding. The EA launched its annual Flood Action Campaign on 20 November 2023 to encourage people to prepare for flooding. This promotes the steps that people can take to protect themselves, their family and homes. Members of the public can sign up to receive free flood warnings from the EA to keep them aware of expected or ongoing flood risks to their local area.