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Flood Recovery Framework
17 April 2024
Lead MP
Philip Dunne
Ludlow
Con
Responding Minister
Robbie Moore
Tags
EconomyTaxationAgriculture & Rural AffairsLocal Government
Word Count: 13415
Other Contributors: 9
At a Glance
Philip Dunne raised concerns about flood recovery framework in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP asks the government to review eligibility criteria for flood recovery funds to make them fairer and to allocate additional funding to local authorities to handle immediate relief efforts. He also urges consideration of broader measures to support farmers affected by flooding, including reviewing the farming recovery fund criteria to ensure wider coverage. The Minister should provide more consistency in the application of the flood recovery framework, extend it to all businesses affected by flooding, and ensure that council tax payments and business rates are suspended during periods when properties cannot be used. Additionally, there needs to be a strategic plan for sewage management and an insurance scheme for businesses.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Flooding remains a pressing issue for many constituents who have suffered from severe weather events. The UK is experiencing increased rainfall, with six of the ten wettest years on record since 1998. In Shropshire, multiple flood events have affected properties along the River Severn; in October 2022 and January 2023 alone, over 160 properties were flooded. The complexity of support measures for those affected highlights the need for a more streamlined approach to ensure that assistance reaches all who require it. Flooding in York has worsened significantly since the Boxing Day floods of 2015, with more frequent and prolonged flooding impacting businesses. The current flood recovery framework does not adequately address individual business needs and requires a broader geographical area to qualify for support. With 1,414 sewage releases last year in York alone, there is an urgent need for improved sewer infrastructure.
Alex Sobel
Lab Co-op
Leeds Central and Headingley
Highlights the success of partnerships between local authorities and businesses in Leeds since a major flooding event on Boxing Day 2015. The West Yorkshire flood risk partnership has been instrumental in creating new partnerships for future prevention and recovery.
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Welcomes the debate on flood recovery and highlights the need to work with Defra to lobby the Treasury regarding a £500 million business case for managing and maintaining Britain's longest river, the River Severn. Asks if it is possible to pay farmers and landowners to hold onto water now that we are no longer bound by EU regulations. Mentions positive statements from the Member for Montgomeryshire about this opportunity. The MP mentioned the River Severn Partnership's efforts in his constituency, highlighting cross-border challenges and the need for a holistic approach to flood risk management. Paid tribute to his long-serving colleague, discussed the historical context of Shrewsbury's flooding issues, highlighted the formation of a parliamentary caucus for MPs along the River Severn, and stressed the importance of presenting a business case to the Treasury for £500 million to manage Britain's longest river. Emphasised the potential economic benefits through GVA uplifts between £100 billion and £150 billion. Sewage going into rivers is an important issue that has not been touched on. Severn Trent recently announced a special programme to clear up the water around Shrewsbury, but this should be a cross-party issue without politicisation.
Darren Henry
Lab
Nottingham North
My constituency saw devastating flooding to homes and businesses during Storms Babet and Henk. The same areas in Broxtowe are severely damaged each time such storms occur, necessitating action now not just for compensation but also to mitigate future damage. In Nottinghamshire, Storm Babet and Storm Henk hit the area in quick succession. The minister mentioned that businesses were able to receive grants but could not do so twice even if storms occurred in separate years.
Duncan Baker
Con
North Norfolk
In my constituency, flooding has been severe for 18 months with rainfall virtually double the average. The water table is very high leading to multiple problems including groundwater and erosion. Proposes an overarching body to coordinate stakeholders such as water companies, county councils, internal drainage boards, and the Environment Agency. He touched on internal drainage boards and expressed interest in the work of the River Severn Partnership, advocating for collaboration across administrative boundaries.
Emma Hardy
Lab
Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Ms Hardy highlighted the complexities of flood recovery, criticising arbitrary thresholds for emergency funding. She pointed out that fewer properties are being protected from flooding due to abandoned projects, calling for transparency on project status and advocating a more collaborative approach through a Labour-led flood resilience taskforce. The threshold for flood recovery funds had increased from 25 to 50, which was arbitrary and did not address the issue of properties on either side of a border line having no impact.
James Heappey
Con
Taunton Deane
He expressed concern about the impact of recent flooding on his Somerset constituency, noting that some homes have been flooded four or more times in six months. He questioned whether new housing developments upstream had a role in speeding up water flow into villages downstream and suggested the Environment Agency's budget for operational management is insufficient at 60% capacity. He also highlighted issues with local authority budgets and highway maintenance, urging the Minister to prioritise operational flood management over environmental activities during extremis. He called for support for farmers and homeowners affected by flooding and questioned the availability of grants.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
In an intervention, she welcomed James Heappey's speech.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
Mr Foord highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by farmers and communities in Devon due to flooding. He mentioned a serious flood event that affected Newton Poppleford, Ottery St Mary, and Tipton St John on May 9th last year, which saw several homes flooded and a school forced to close for days. Local authorities were unclear about the support available from central Government despite the huge damage caused. Mr Foord emphasised the need for a flood recovery framework that extends further than current criteria, such as requiring at least 50 affected properties, and mentioned the projected increase in high-risk areas of England to over 600,000 by 2055 if no action is taken.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
The MP expressed concerns about the Government's failure to use the flood recovery framework effectively for farmers in Cumbria, highlighting that farms across his county are still dealing with the aftermath of Storm Henk despite not qualifying for support. He cited instances where local communities did not meet the minimum requirement of 50 affected properties and pointed out issues such as grant payment cut-off dates, resilience measure timeliness, and environmental agency budget cuts. Additionally, he mentioned the impact on food security due to reduced agricultural productivity and higher prices.
Government Response
Robbie Moore
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Philip Dunne) for securing this important debate and all hon. Members who have contributed. The Government sympathise with constituents affected by flooding and are investing £5.2 billion between 19/20 and 26/27 to better protect communities from flooding and coastal erosion, which has led to the protection of over 600,000 properties since 2010. Since Storm Babet and Storm Henk, the Government have activated a flood recovery framework providing community recovery grants (£500 per flooded household), business recovery grants (up to £2,500 for eligible SMEs), council tax discount and business rate relief (minimum period of three months), property flood resilience repair grant (up to £5,000 per property). The minister assures Somerset residents are eligible for the property flood resilience repair grant due to 106 properties being flooded. All measures and schemes will be reviewed following requests by MPs, including a visit from the Minister to address flooding issues in Stapleford. Shropshire County Council is eligible to receive funding as per Storms Babet and Henk impacts. The threshold of 50 internally flooded properties was reduced for unitary authority areas post feedback, not increased as wrongly claimed by the shadow minister. The minister is considering extra funding for local authorities to deliver framework schemes. I look forward to further conversations with Members regarding this important matter.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.