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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Douglas-Miller on 14 February (HL1609), what assessment they have made of the adequacy of planned flood protection for Shepperton, Sunbury and Walton-on-Thames under the River Thames Scheme currently going through consultation, given the flooding in 2014 and 2024.

The River Thames Scheme is currently carrying out Statutory consultation on its proposals. The consultation has included public events in Shepperton, Walton and Sunbury where over 1,000 people attended and spoke with members of the project team.

The proposals include building a new channel that will significantly reduce the risk of flooding between Staines and Shepperton. The scheme also includes proposals to increase the capacity of the weirs on the Thames at Teddington, Molesey and Sunbury along with lowering the bed of the Thames near Walton. The weir capacity is being increased as much as possible and this will achieve some reduction in risk downstream of Shepperton along the Thames. The level of risk reduction is different in each location.

The level of flood risk reduction that will be achieved is available for everyone to see as part of the consultation. The results are set out in detail in the Modelling report for the scheme which can be found at: RTS Modelling non-technical summary (see attached).