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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on practical support for households affected by flooding.

Improving resilience to flooding is a priority for the government, as it recognises the devastating impact being flooding can have on households. The Government established the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which includes representatives from Local Authorities, in September 2024 to improve national preparedness.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce has delivered a range of work including a review of the Flood Recovery Framework, led by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This means if activated, it will now be easier and quicker for local councils to apply for business and community recovery grants. The Environment Agency has upgraded the ‘Get flood warnings’ service on GOV.UK to make it easier for households prepare for flooding. The new system provides improved mapping and greater choice of the warnings to receive. The Met Office and Environment Agency are also engaging with Local Resilience Forums to build preparedness for flooding during autumn and winter. Defra and the Environment Agency are also working with Local Authorities in Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) to review Multi Agency Flood Plans prepare their local response to flooding.