Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Flooding

06 February 2024 · 12 other contributors · 4,537 words

Opened by Laurence Robertson Con Tewkesbury

Responding minister: Rebecca Pow

Agriculture & Rural AffairsEnvironment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Laurence Robertson raised concerns about flooding in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about severe flooding in Tewkesbury and other areas in 2007 that displaced around 1,000 households and led to hospital evacuations.
  • Regular flooding continues to occur due to excessive building on flood plains, affecting homes, businesses, and farms, and people struggle with Government compensation schemes.
  • The lead MP calls for a more holistic flood management approach, including clearer guidance on infrastructure responsibilities and better coordination between councils and the Environment Agency.

Key requests to Government

The lead MP asks the government to take a more holistic approach to flood management, considering both national strategies and local interventions. Specifically, they ask for clearer guidance on infrastructure responsibilities, better coordination between councils and the Environment Agency, and measures such as sustainable urban drainage systems and river dredging to manage water flow efficiently.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Laurence Robertson Con Tewkesbury

In 2007, Tewkesbury and other areas suffered severe flooding that displaced around 1,000 households and led to the evacuation of Tewkesbury hospital. Since then, while some mitigation measures have been implemented, regular flooding continues to occur due to excessive building on flood plains, impacting homes, businesses, and farms. People feel left to fend for themselves despite Government compensation schemes which are cumbersome to access. Furthermore, drainage failures caused raw sewage to enter houses over Christmas 2022, causing significant damage and disruption.

Other contributors (12)
  • Alan Mak Con Havant

    He thanked his hon. Friend for securing the debate and called on the Minister and Government to continue their support for bodies like Coastal Partners, which provide a regional focus for flood defence and protection work.

  • Fiona Bruce

    She referred to her constituency's situation where there has been a very high level of new build over recent years, leading to increasing flooding, and called for clearer responsibilities as the lead local flood authority for such situations.

  • George Freeman Con Mid Norfolk

    He congratulated his hon. Friend on securing the debate and highlighted an extremely high rate of flooding in Mid Norfolk, with 200 houses flooded with sewage in 2020 and another 100 affected recently. He reiterated that it is important to remember that drainage is about drainage, first and foremost, and not just environmental concerns. In Norfolk, internal drainage boards are the most expert bodies in handling drainage, and there should be consideration of using Environment Agency's funding for their work rather than council surcharges.

  • Greg Knight

    He congratulated his hon. Friend on securing the debate and suggested that farmers should be paid for storing water on behalf of the state in areas where farmland regularly floods. Asked about the Government's conclusion on the effectiveness of dredging the River Parrett.

  • Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire

    She agreed with the hon. Gentleman's points and highlighted the need for a plan from the council to ensure people can move around safely during flooding.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    He thanked the hon. Gentleman for introducing the debate and agreed that policy and strategy must be not only for England but for the whole of the United Kingdom, as floods are happening everywhere.

  • Nigel Adams Con Selby and Ainsty

    The MP agreed with the need for better access to compensation funds for those affected by flooding, and also highlighted the issue of business rates being levied even when businesses have not made a profit. The MP intervened to support the point about river dredging as a potential solution, noting that it is logical for rivers to carry water out to sea if they can contain more without bursting their banks.

  • Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op York Central

    She agreed with the hon. Member for Tewkesbury and suggested an immediate suspension of business rates for businesses affected by flooding and clarity around the Bellwin scheme to ensure that it is not based on the number of businesses that flood.

  • Richard Graham

    He agreed with his hon. Friend's points regarding responsibility for flooding and highlighted improvements made in his constituency and the need for a new reservoir creation in Welsh hills.

  • Sarah Dyke Lib Dem Glastonbury and Somerton

    She congratulated the hon. Member for Tewkesbury and mentioned that flood victims in Frome have been unable to access property flood resilience repair grants, urging urgent provision of such schemes. She suggested supporting the engineering of management defences such as wetlands and levels to aid communities and boost flood resilience.

  • Sarah Edwards Lab Tamworth

    My constituency of Tamworth has faced severe flooding incidents, with 2,205 residential properties at risk. There is a need for increased funding to improve the flood defences which do not meet today's standards.

  • Greg Knight Con East Yorkshire

    The MP supported the lead MP's concerns about excessive building in flood-prone areas, suggesting that farmers should be encouraged through environmental land management schemes to help contain water on their land.

Government Response

Rebecca Pow

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Tewkesbury for securing the debate, highlighting the importance of flooding issues. The Government has a strong policy statement with 40 actions and five ambitious policies to make the nation more resilient against extreme weather. We have doubled the flooding budget to £5.2 billion in this six-year spending round, covering coastal erosion as well. The drainage boards play an important role in managing water levels and providing nature-based solutions. Specific funds such as the frequently flooded allowance and natural flood management programme have enabled various projects to progress. For example, spades are now in the ground in Toronto Close in Worcester due to this fund. We introduced new actions under the environmental land management scheme on 4 January for grassland management and arable land management for flood resilience, along with water storage on farms. Sustainable urban drainage is a key focus, including working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to speed up schedule 3 regulations. The Government has also implemented property flood resilience measures that have insulated 90 properties in Tewkesbury, and the flood recovery framework has been triggered for recent storm-hit areas. We will continue to listen to people's concerns and work on adaptive pathways like the Severn valley partnership.

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