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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions relating to flood risk prevention were taken by the Environment Agency in each constituency in 2023.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulate works in rivers through a permissions-based approach under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. These are referred to as “flood risk activities”. The primary purpose of the regulations is to ensure in-river works do not damage the environment or cause a flood risk to others.

Enforcement actions can occur due to a breach in permit condition but are predominantly for unauthorised works. Enforcement actions can vary from advice and guidance, formal warnings, notices, civil sanctions and prosecutions.

There were 65 Enforcement Actions across the country relating to flood risk prevention in 2023. Please see the table below for the number of enforcement actions for each EA area.

Number of enforcement actions for each Environment Agency area