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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide more data to local organisations and communities to help them prepare for future floods.

The Environment Agency (EA) publishes data and maps for England on coastal erosion risk and flood risk. This includes a five-day flood forecast, river levels and flood warnings. The EA makes, and will continue to make, this and other environmental data openly available for download so that it can be used by individuals, communities and local organisations free of charge. The EA will continue to improve these digital services based on feedback.

The EA will be releasing an updated flood information service (https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings) in spring 2020 which will feature more impact information, rainfall information and improved navigation. In addition, the EA is working with Fujitsu, EE and the University of Hull to undertake trials of Cell Broadcasting technology (https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/cell-broadcast-trial), and is intending to work with other Government bodies to help to implement this service to warn those at highest risk in advance of flooding.