Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recent flooding, what plans they have to re-allocate the proposed funding for HS2 to the funding of strengthened flood defences.

There are no plans to re-allocate HS2 funding to flood defences. The HS2 budget is to deliver HS2.

The Government is separately investing £2.3bn in flood defences through the six-year capital programme, which will better protect 300,000 homes and reduce overall flood risk in England by 5% by 2021.